Karina Garcia Casanova
2014
This autobiographical debut film is a heartbreaking chronicle of a family struggling with rootlessness and mental illness. When she learns that her brother Juan has returned to Quebec after spending some time in their birthplace, Mexico, Karina Garcia Casanova decides to film him. Her purpose is clear from the start : she is not interested in home movies; she is going to make a real film. And her project quickly takes a dramatic turn when Juan suffers a relapse into a desperate bout of depression and paranoia. It is not unusual for a debut film to come out of a very personal journey, but rare are those that demonstrate such mature introspection. Here, cinema is nothing less than an essential tool for reconstructing the self.
CREDITS
Best Documentary from the Student Jury at RIDM
Grand Prize Winner of Doculab 1.0 of the Guadalajara Film Festival in Los Angeles (rough cut stage)
Special Mention for Best New Talent from the National Jury at RIDM
Special Jury mention for Best Ibero-American Documentary at Guadalajara Film Festival
Special Jury Mention for Best First Film at Rendez Vous du Cinéma Québécois