TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Colombian crime movie wins top award at Havana's 40th film festival

The Colombian crime film "Pajaros de Verano" has won the prized Coral Award at the 40th edition of the popular Havana Film Festival.

News Desk (Agence France-Presse)
Havana, Cuba
Sun, December 16, 2018 Published on Dec. 16, 2018 Published on 2018-12-16T10:13:08+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Cast members of 'Pajaros de Verano' (Birds of passage) Colombian directors Ciro Guerra (2L) and Cristina Gallego (3L), Colombian actresses Natalia Reyes (2L) and Carmina Martinez (2L) and actors Jhon Narvaez, Jose Acosta and Jose Vicente Cotes arrive on May 11, 2018 for the screening of the film 'Ash is Purest White (Jiang hu er nv)' at the 71st edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. Cast members of 'Pajaros de Verano' (Birds of passage) Colombian directors Ciro Guerra (2L) and Cristina Gallego (3L), Colombian actresses Natalia Reyes (2L) and Carmina Martinez (2L) and actors Jhon Narvaez, Jose Acosta and Jose Vicente Cotes arrive on May 11, 2018 for the screening of the film 'Ash is Purest White (Jiang hu er nv)' at the 71st edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP/Loic Venance)

T

he Colombian crime film Pajaros de Verano has won the prized Coral Award at the 40th edition of the popular Havana Film Festival.

The festival, which in its heyday in the 1980s drew a half-million moviegoers but of late has struggled with reduced budgets, continues through Sunday, but prizes were awarded Friday night.

The winning Colombian film -- titled Birds of Passage in English -- was directed by Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego.

Starring Carmina Martinez, Natalia Reyes and Jose Acosta, it has been selected to represent Colombia at next February's Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood.

Birds of Passage tells the story of the rise and fall of an indigenous Colombian family caught up in the risky bonanza of marijuana trafficking to the United States, which threatens the family's culture, traditions and very lives.

Read also: In its 40th year, Havana film fest a far cry from its heyday

Most of the other top prizes in Havana went to Mexican, Uruguayan, Peruvian and Argentine films. 

The best-director award went to Carlos Reygadas for Nuestro Tiempo (Our Time), while Carlos Sorin won for best screenwriting with Joel.

Ilse Salas got the nod for best female performance for Las ninas bien (The Good Girls), a Mexican film, while the best-male award went to Lorenzo Ferro for El Angel from Argentina.

The festival, a showcase of Latin American cinema which still brings thousands of moviegoers and gawkers to the streets and theaters of Havana, was headlined this year by Oscar-winning actor Benicio del Toro, Serbian director Emir Kusturica and American provocateur Michael Moore.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.