ALICIA CANO | URUGUAY, GERMANY | 2012 | 74' | SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
This internationally well-received feature documentary is talented Uruguayan filmmaker Alicia Cano's captivating and playful directing debut. With much humour she depicts the fortunes of the people in a small town in Uruguay. The film describes a passionately fought conflict over a rather inconspicuous building. In order to understand the motives behind all this, Cano engaged with the people involved for more than a year.
It all starts with a football game. When the local football team Bella Vista loses a deciding match and is relegated to a lower division, a fight breaks out between the fans and the players, the club is disbanded and their clubhouse becomes vacant. That is, until the shrewd Elisa takes it over and turns it into a brothel for transvestites. Her business is a great success, to the dismay of local residents who are quickly fed up with the nuisance caused by the numerous nocturnal visitors. Local politician, factory owner and former director of the football club Patón Lerena decides to step in.
Cano reconstructs the whole affair with all parties involved: the local residents, Elisa, Patón and some of the prostituting transvestites. She discovers that mutual prejudices are the driving force behind all the commotion.
The director of the film, Alicia Cano, will be attending the festival and will answer the questions of the audience after the screening of her film.
Screenings
Venue: Rialto
WED 20 AUG – 22.00 
SAT 23 AUG – 21.30