Three retrospective cycles —«Su Friedrich: Ties that Bind» and «Joël Akafou: The clandestine adventures of the Haute Bourgeoisie Française»—, the first in Spain dedicated to films by these authors, and «Close to the Trees», the third instalment of natural stories from documentary cinema curated and presented by Miriam Martín.
Ties that Bind is the title of the focus devoted to Su Friedrich (b. New Haven, Connecticut, 1954), the first retrospective in Spain that will include four programmes devoted to this documentary maker who has been active in feminist and LGTBIQ+ groups since the late seventies, and is one of the leading figures in avant-garde American film.
As regards the focus on Joël Akafou (b. Bouaké, Ivory Coast, 1986), subtitled The clandestine adventures of the Haute Bourgeoisie Française and programmed by Jade de Cock, is also the first European retrospective on this young director whose work has in recent years earned the seal of approval of leading festivals including Cinèma du Réel, Entrevues Belfort and the Berlinale.
Close to the Trees focuses on a community that is still shown rarely and poorly, that of trees. Rarely are they more than a backdrop in films, and the focus seldom falls on them; this series will show though five programmes some of these rare exceptions.