Paraguay
Paraguay Delegation
August 21-29, 2010
Filmmaker: Ben Niles, Note By Note
Expert: Lucas Bessire
“After the screening of Through Deaf Eyes, one middle-aged man came up to me and grabbed my shoulder, thanking me while tears ran down his cheeks. Later, I was told that this was the first cultural event ever organized around deaf rights issues in Paraguay!” – Lucas Bessire
“It is abundantly clear that the students and teachers in Paraguay are eager to learn and desire more insights into filmmaking and American culture. But they also recognize a void and are now encouraged to try to document their own lives and communities as best as possible.” – Ben Niles
Delegate Report
by Lucas Bessire
The 2010 American Documentary Showcase delegation to Paraguay was a great success. It was organized around a six-day program of 14 screenings at the Centro Cultural Paraguayo-Americano (CCPA) in the capital city of Asunción, complemented by two master classes with national media-makers, and an additional program in the remote Gran Chaco region in the western part of the country.
The delegation received much press attention at the national level, as interviews with seven talk radio programs, four television news programs and all three major national newspapers generated extensive coverage to the event for ten days (August 17–27). As the first cultural event involving US documentaries ever to be organized by the Embassy in Paraguay, and the first cultural event hosted by the Embassy in the Gran Chaco, it was certainly newsworthy.
Asunción
Lucas Bessire
The delegation kicked off at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 23, with opening remarks by James Russo, Public Affairs Officer of the American Embassy; Joe Hernandez, the President of the CCPA; filmmaker Ben Niles; and me. An audience of approximately 80 people attended the opening night screening of Which Way Home, followed by a well-attended wine-and-cheese reception.
On Tuesday, we hosted a master class for a dozen Paraguayan media professionals at the Teatro de las Americas, one of the country’s premiere venues, at the CCPA. In addition to discussing particular scenes from Ben’s work, Note By Note, we engaged in a lively discussion about documentary theory in general, funding structures and narrative arc in documentary. This also presented a wonderful chance to learn about the current state of documentary production in Paraguay from the director of the Paraguayan Independent Film Association and a number of up-and-coming filmmakers. The screenings continued from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m., with Children in No Man’s Land and Made in LA providing a more nuanced picture of immigration issues––one of the major topics of interest to the Paraguayan public.
Filadelfia, Chaco
One of the highlights of the trip came on Wednesday, August 25, when Ben and Steve Carroll, the cultural attaché from the Embassy and I traveled to Filadelfia, Chaco, for an additional program aimed at under-privileged youth. Co-organized by the Secretaría de Educacion in the Departmento de Boqueron, the five-hour-long event featured more than 100 participants from regional high-schools, as well as several local media makers. The event was publicized on the two regional radio stations, and we were interviewed by the local TV news program. We screened four films––Made in LA, Miss Navajo, FLOW: For Love of Water and Note by Note––to two groups of participants, followed by a lengthy Q&A session, touching on themes of modernization, development and cultural values in the Chaco.
Indeed, only four of the audience members had ever seen a documentary film before! As one indigenous participant told me afterwards, “I really loved the film with the Navajo woman. It made me feel proud of myself, and I wish we could have a screening in my community. These kinds of stories are never told here, particularly about the value of preserving our languages.”
Asunción
This event also provided an ideal opportunity for Embassy personnel to solicit applications for the many cultural exchange programs they offer. Meanwhile, additional public screenings were held in Asunción for interested members of the public. On Thursday evening, Ben, James and I were featured guests on La Claqueta, the premiere national television program focusing on media and film.
On Friday morning, Ben and I gave a master class on documentary production to around 50 students in the IPACC, or Instituto Profesional de Artes y Ciencias de la Comunicación, which is the only institute in the country that teaches any kind of video or film production. Much like the master class on Tuesday, this seminar featured detailed discussions of four scenes from Ben’s award-winning film and a general discussion of documentary as a social tool––with the opportunity for students to ask questions and relate Ben’s solutions to their own projects. This sparked an illuminating conversation, not only about technical details but also about the kinds of stories that IPACC students were interested in telling.
Audience watches Miss Navajo
That evening, we also had the chance to participate in very well attended screenings of two films focused on disability issues: Autism: The Musical and Through Deaf Eyes. Special outreach by Embassy staff to the two national organizations focused on these issues––the Institute for Autism and the Paraguayan Deaf Association––really paid off, as approximately 80 people were present for each screening, including a large autistic and deaf contingent. The question-and-answer sessions following these films were particularly dynamic and emotional, as we translated between Spanish, English, ASL and Paraguayan Sign Language.
Over and over, we were asked to provide copies of the films and to organize further events. After the screening of Through Deaf Eyes, one middle-aged man came up to me and grabbed my shoulder, thanking me while tears ran down his cheeks. Later, I was told that this was the first cultural event ever organized around deaf rights issues in Paraguay! Following this event, Steve Carroll (the cultural attaché), Ben and I were interviewed on Channel 9’s nightly news program.
La Claqueta
The closing program on Saturday evening was equally as rewarding. An early screening of Miss Navajo was followed by remarks from Joe, Ben and the US Ambassador to Paraguay, Liliana Ayalde. In front of a packed house of around 120 people, a locally renowned pianist, Lito Barrios, performed a short concert of four pieces highlighting American and Paraguayan composers. This was followed by a screening of Ben’s film, Note by Note, and a very enthusiastic 45-minute Q&A session with the audience, which included notable media producers from Paraguay, as well as a variety of public officials. Ben gave thoughtful, provocative responses, and a number of audience members asked us to repeat the event next year.
Summary
In sum, the debut American Documentary Showcase delegation to Paraguay was a rousing success. Not only were we able to reflect on the portraits of American society presented in so many compelling films, but the screenings catalyzed meaningful and often moving dialogues with distinct sectors of the Paraguayan public about their own stories. It was an event with life-changing potential, which will only grow in stature and importance in the future, if the Showcase is funded to travel again.
Filmmaker Report
by Ben Niles
Asunción
Saturday, August 21
5:30 p.m. - Arrived in Asunción and was warmly greeted by Lucas Bessire, a film expert with the delegation, a notable anthropologist studying the region and my translator. We checked in to the Villa Morra Suites and discussed the weeks’ events over dinner. The American Embassy, inspired by the American Documentary Showcase, had curated its own festival to run for the week featuring 10-12 films from the Showcase. The entire festival was to take place at the Cultural Center for Paraguay and America (CCPA).
Sunday, August 22
Ben kicks a soccer ball
2:30 p.m. - Embassy officials Ricardo Espinosa and Steve Carroll accompanied us to our first radio interview to promote the festival on Nanduti AM Radio with the “Voice of Paraguay,” Armondo Espinos. I quickly learned that Paraguayans were somewhat unsure of a festival of American films being promoted by an American Embassy. The interview with such a high-profile individual like Armondo was critical first step in sharing the vision and focus of the festival. His questions were pointed but the interview went very well and set the tone for the rest of the week. Lucas was instrumental in translating for me and expressing our goals for reaching out to the community in an educational capacity.
Monday, August 23
9:00 a.m. - Lucas and I did more press doing another radio show. The local papers were also covering the festival nicely and we were featured in several different publications. Tonight was opening night and we were all excited to see so much exposure. Paraguay is a country that has very little access to films, much less documentaries, so this was gratifying to see.
7:30 p.m. - Opening night Ceremonies begin. Jim Russo, Director of Cultural Affairs for the US Embassy, greeted the audience with opening remarks and his vision for the festival. Lucas then welcomed everyone and translated for me as I expressed my warm thanks for their invitation and my excitement for the week ahead. It was also important for Lucas and me to voice our vision for the festival and community as well. Whenever possible, we encouraged local students and aspiring filmmakers to recognize the vast resources of culturally relevant and thought-provoking issues at their fingertips. It was important to dispel this idea of “Hollywood” playing a key role in American filmmaking—something many of them assumed—and to inspire them to look within their own communities to share the rich stories of Paraguay.
Ben, Lucas, and audience member
8:00 p.m. - The opening night film was Which Way Home, an excellent, hard-hitting and provocative film about unaccompanied child migrants navigating the dangerous and arduous trip across Mexico while riding on top of a train bound for the border of the US. Directed by Rebecca Cammisa, this 2010 Academy Award nominee was very well received, setting the tone for the rest of the week and alerting the community to the type of thoughtful and aggressive filmmaking that was in store. There were calls to the press afterward for an encore screening, which the Embassy was only too happy to provide.
Oddly, before the film started, the theater was only half full and Lucas and I were slightly deflated. However, during the opening credits, droves of students arrived filling the place to capacity. Apparently, classes at the CCPA had just ended in the nick of time.
9:30 p.m. - After the screening, the Embassy hosted a brindis (toast) in the art gallery below. Wine and hors d’oeuvres were served and we all got a chance to meet with many of the local filmmakers and teachers. Their questions were insightful and thoughtful. The entire night was a huge success and the questions about filmmaking were many. It was inspiring to see and a strong start to the festival.
Tuesday, August 24
9:00 a.m. - Lucas and I took part in another radio interview. There was a lot of positive talk about the opening night and it was obvious that the local media were now embracing the type of programming the Embassy had put together. Again, kicking off the festival with a film like Which Way Home, was incredibly important and one that we all gave serious thought and deliberation to beforehand. We were now able to establish the level of quality and content that the community could expect––not “propaganda Americana” as so many in the media had initially suspected.
4:00 p.m. – Lucas and I presented the first film of the day at the CCPA, Children in No Man’s Land, and encouraged the audience to stick around for a master class we would give immediately following.
6:00 p.m. - We began our master class at the CCPA for Paraguayan Film professionals and students. There was some discussion about the previously shown film, and then we showed clips from my film, Note by Note. Lucas and I presented several scenes and discussed the challenges and ideas behind each. The students were encouraged to ask as many questions as possible and although the turnout was lower than we’d hoped (12-15) the questions were again very thoughtful and insightful. We felt very good about the interaction; the class went over the allotted time, and we had a few of the students join us for dinner and a chance to continue the conversation. It was also encouraging to see the same faces day after day attending the festival. These students, though few, were serious about filmmaking and eager to make the most of a good (and rare) opportunity.
Filadelfia, Chaco
Wednesday, August 25
Ben & Lucas
9:00 a.m. - Lucas and I were picked up Tuesday morning by Ricardo Espinosa from the Embassy to embark on our overnight trip to Paraguay’s Grand Chaco for a day of screenings in the town of Filadelfia, de Province in Boquerón. The Embassy, in conjunction with Lucas’ direction (he has been working on his dissertation on the indigenous Ayoreo Indians there for the past four years), organized for several schools around the area, some 30-40 kilometers away, to bus school kids ages 8-15 in for a mini-festival of four films held at the Colegio Boquerón.
The Grand Chaco is the largest dry forest in South America and the continent’s most extensive forested region after Amazonia. It occupies territories in four countries: Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and a small portion of Brazil. In Paraguay, approximately 60 percent of the territory is covered by the Chaco, yet only 10 percent of Paraguayans live in this part of the country. Therefore, it is fairly uncommon for the students of this region to be exposed to films of any kind.
After making the five-hour drive and setting up food and drinks for the kids, we quickly learned that most had no idea what a documentary was or how a person might attempt to make one. It was our job to educate them as much as possible and provide inspiration for people in the region, especially the educators, to embrace the medium and share more films with their students.
Lucas and I both gave opening remarks, encouraging this along with a Q&A after each film. I was astounded by the quality of the questions coming from the kids. They really tapped into some of the more subtle themes and issues and this was exciting for us to see. We rotated two classrooms, about 100 students, so that most could see two-to-three films throughout the afternoon.
There are so many culturally rich stories there in the Chaco and we encouraged the students to look within their own communities and work toward telling their own stories that concern them, like deforestation and lack of clean water. They wanted to know how to do this. I found it difficult to push too hard given the poverty and lack of resources in the schools. As I heard from many Paraguayans, sadly, anything that ever gets done within the country is usually handled by those from outside, who have the funding and the necessary resources. Still, this trip was a first for these kids and their teachers were eager to gain more access to documentaries. And the Embassy was eager to extend the resources, as needed. A trip to the Chaco is now being planned as an annual event, covering more days and greater attendance.
Asunción
Thursday, August 26
10:00 a.m. - Our delegation left the Hotel Florida after breakfast and hustled back to Asunción for an afternoon TV show in support of the festival.
4:00 p.m. - Lucas and I departed the hotel for a TV appearance on the La Claqueta show to further promote the festival at the CCPA. We were met at the TV Paraguay station by Jim Russo and quickly ushered into make-up. Although Paraguay is a small country with limited resources, it was times like this that made us all feel we could almost be anywhere. The TV sets were contemporary and the host was sharp and professional. It all went well and we headed home to rest up for another full day of press and screenings. Meanwhile, back at the festival, Traces of the Trade and Street Fight were screened.
Friday, August 27
10:00 a.m. - A driver from the embassy arrived to take Lucas and me to the Instituto Profesional de Artes y Ciencias de la Comunicación (IPACC) to give a master class on documentaries. The school was private, teaching courses in film, television and media communications.
As we had done earlier in the week, we planned to screen several scenes from my film, Note by Note, and explain the challenges and thought processes for each. Once again, the students asked very clever questions—many I’d never heard before—and showed a keen interest in learning. These were college kids with some resources and, although the school was small, it did have up-to-date equipment and facilities.
4:15 p.m. - Presentation of documentary: Autism: The Musical.
6:00 p.m. - Presentation of documentary: Through Deaf Eyes.
These two films had a profound impact on the audiences. The Embassy had alerted several organizations working with autistic children and the hearing impaired, and people came out in droves. Through Deaf Eyes was particularly interesting because it presented a unique situation I had never seen in film. The Embassy had secured a person to sign throughout the film when narration was taking place so that everyone could understand. However, it was brought to our attention, just minutes before the screening, that many of these individuals were also illiterate and could not read the Spanish subtitles. Therefore, we then had to have another translator whisper in the ear of the person signing so he could translate the entire film. It was complex, but the message came through clearly.
In Paraguay, these organizations have very little voice and find it difficult to educate the general public on their needs. Based on the number of illiterate people attending, it was obvious that the resources available are few. We were approached by several individuals pleading for access to these films so that they might further their message. It was both sad and encouraging, and I’m hopeful that the filmmakers of these films will be able to assist in the cause.
8:15 p.m. - Lucas and I held a Q&As to discuss the films of the day, but it quickly turned into a forum for debate among the hearing impaired who were present. There are a lot of issues and rights, or the lack there of, that their organization is pursuing. Yet many disagreed on the right approach. It was fascinating to witness this debate with people passionately signing back and forth to one another. It was also encouraging as a
filmmaker to see the profound effect films can have on people.
Saturday, August 28
7:30 p.m. - We met several people from the CCPA as well as others, some of whom were American, that are instrumental in encouraging cultural events like this in Paraguay. I was particularly eager to meet the Ambassador of the American Embassy, Liliana Ayalde. Her presence caused a stir and it was exciting to have her take part in the festival. It was a real honor for me to speak with her and to share ideas on the festival and the state of filmmaking in Paraguay. She expressed a strong interest in continuing the festival for years to come and announced this to the audience in her opening remarks. Everyone was thrilled to know that all of our hard work had set the bar for future delegations to educate and promote documentary filmmaking in Paraguay.
Lito Barrios plays piano
8:20 p.m. - To kick off the evening, the Embassy had asked Lito Barrios, a concert pianist from Asunción (and the grandson of the great classical guitarist, Agustin Barrios), to play piano before the film began. In honor of the week’s events and the warm relations between the two countries, he chose to play George Gershwin’s “Summertime,” Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” and two pieces by his grandfather: “Julia Florida” and “Danza Paraguaya.” His playing was beautiful and earned a rousing standing ovation.
8:30 p.m. - Lucas and I both made our closing remarks and started the presentation of Note by Note.
9:50 p.m. - I did a Q&A session afterwards with Lucas moderating and translating. I was very pleased to receive so many questions and to have the opportunity to express my profound sincerity for the warmth with which I was greeted and the wonderful experience I had gained. Ambassador Ayalde, who I had been told might have to leave early due to a heavy travel schedule, was still in attendance and asking questions herself. It was enlightening for everyone and encouraged full participation. For me, it was an honor and a highlight in my career.
Summary
Liliana Ayalde, US Ambassador to Paraguay, with Ben Niles
Being selected to participate in the American Documentary Showcase was exciting, but I had no idea what was really in store. Taking the showcase to Paraguay was a wonderful experience and proved to be both educational and entertaining for everyone involved. It is abundantly clear that the students and teachers in Paraguay are eager to learn and desire more insights into filmmaking and American culture. But they also recognize a void and are now encouraged to try to document their own lives and communities as best as possible.
Thanks to the Showcase, and our delegation, many now understand the impact a film can have—giving them a stronger and more effective voice for change and awareness. It is my hope that the Showcase will return to Paraguay and continue on this path. As a filmmaker, I can think of no better opportunity to strengthen my craft—and I’m grateful for it—but the impact it has on communities like Asunción and the Grand Chaco is profound and potentially life- changing.
As the week gained momentum, we were approached time and time again for access to all the films, mainly for educational purposes. There is a dearth of quality content in Paraguay and a real need for more. I encourage the Showcase and its filmmakers to consider sharing their films with impoverished countries like this as an educational tool. Through Embassy relations with the television stations, our films can be broadcast and seen by a wide audience, eager to learn and yearning for education.