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MALA (Notes on a city)

Different lives of a city of Peru called MALA, show the daily life of its inhabitants, with their sorrows and joys.
Sacrifice, illusions, unhappy lives and hope for the future.

  • MIGUEL ANGEL BARROSO
    Director
  • MIGUEL ANGEL BARROSO
    Writer
  • ÚRSULA SOBENES
    Producer
  • THE INHABITANTS OF MALA
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    MALA (Apuntes de una ciudad)
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    REAL LIFE, SOCIAL; EDUCATION; CHILDREN; THEATRE;
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 11 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    7,439 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Spain
  • Country of Filming:
    Peru
  • Language:
    Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    DIGITAL
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16/9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • BARCELONA PLANET FILM FESTIVAL
    Barcelona
    Spain
    December 1, 2016
    BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
  • MEDFF (MEDITERRANEAN FILM FESTIVAL)
    Siracusa
    Italy
  • DIRECT MONTHLY ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL
    MICHIGAN
    United States
    BEST FEATURE FILM OF THE MONTH
  • 12 MONTHS FILM FESTIVAL

    Romania
    BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
  • LOS ANGELES CINE FEST
    Los Angeles
    United States
    SEMI-FINALIST
  • ALTERNATIVE FILM FESTIVAL
    TORONTO
    Canada
    FINALIST
  • SYDNEY WORLD FILM FESTIVAL
    SYDNEY
    Australia
  • FESTIVAL DE CINE DE SAN LORENZO
    SAN LORENZO, GRAN ASUNCIÓN
    Paraguay
    April 15, 2017
    PARAGUAY PREMIERE
  • SALÓN INTERNACIONAL DE LA LUZ VOL VIII
    BOGOTÁ
    Colombia
    May 17, 2017
    COLOMBIA PREMIERE
  • FESTIVAL DOCUMENTAL DE IERAPETRA
    CRETA
    Greece
    August 6, 2017
    Greece Premiere
  • INTERNATIONAL URBAN FILM FESTIVAL
    TEHERAN
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
    SEMI-FINALIST
  • AM EGYPY FILM FESTIVAL
    EL CAIRO
    Egypt
  • SOSE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    YEREVAN
    Armenia
  • MARQUEE ON MAIN
    WASHINGTON
    United States
  • INTERNATIONALES FILM FESTIVAL SUBURBINALE
    Groß-Enzersdorf
    Austria
    September 17, 2017
    AUSTRIA PREMIERE
  • FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINE DE LA PATAGONIA: TIERRA, MUJER, HOMBRE
    Trelew
    Argentina
    September 21, 2017
    ARGENTINA PREMIERE
  • SCANDINAVIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    HELSINKI
    Finland
    October 25, 2017
    FINLAND PREMIERE
    AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
  • FESTIVAL VUES DU MONDE
    MONTREAL
    Canada
    September 19, 2017
    CANADA PREMIERE
    OUT OF COMPETITION
  • EL OJO COJO
    MADRID
    Spain
    PRESELECTED
  • G2 GREEN EARTH FILM FESTIVAL
    LOS ANGELES
    United States
    SEMI-FINALIST
  • CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    CARDIFF BAY,WALES
    United Kingdom
  • AFC GLOBAL FEST
    KOLKATA
    India
    November 10, 2017
    ASIAN PREMIERE
  • HEADLINE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

    Canada
    AWARD OF MERIT
  • NORTH AMERICAN FILM AWARDS

    United States
    Best Documentary Nominee
  • UK MONTHLY FILM FEST

    United Kingdom
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • COSMIC FILM FESTIVAL
    OVIEDO
    United States
    FINALIST
  • FILMS INFEST (INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM FESIVAL)
    Palma de Mallorca
    Spain
    September 22, 2018
    SPAIN PREMIERE
    BEST DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION
  • MERAKI FILM FESTIVAL
    BERLIN
    Germany
    March 7, 2019
    SEMIFINALISTA
  • INDIE DOC PRO FILM FESTIVAL
    Barcelona
    Spain
    November 1, 2020
    BEST REAL LIFE DOC
  • INTERDOC 2021
    Moscu
    Russian Federation
    Russian Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - MIGUEL ANGEL BARROSO

It is dedicated to the film critic and film historian. He has participated in organizing various film festivals as Head of Programming: Atlantic Film Festival (Cadiz); International Ecological Film Festival and Nature of the Canary Islands (Puerto de la Cruz). He has served as Jury Erotic Film Festivals held in Barcelona (Ficeb) and Madrid (Exposex). Short Film Jury Member FESTIVAL OF CINEMA ITALIANO DI MADRID 2008-2009-2010. Jury member of the International Short Film FEST FILM FESTIVAL IMAGO 2009, which has also carried out the development of dedicated and Erotic Film Tribute to Italian director Tinto Brass cycle. He organized the video conference: Italian film Il linguaggio e il mare, within the VII Edizione Settimana Della Lingua Italiana Nel Mondo. He organized the videoconference: the unforgettable Anna Magnani, in tribute to the actress Anna Magnani on the centenary of his birth, held at the Italian Cultural Istituto Madrid. He has published among other books: The beautiful Patricia (Narrative) (2000); Pier Paolo Pasolini: the brutality of coherence (2000); Erotic film 100 Days (2001); Spanish Cinema in 100 Films (2002); Michelangelo Antonioni: Technically Dolce (2006) Marcello Mastroianni From A to Z (2007); The Hundred Best Films of Italian Cinema History (2008); The Hundred Best Films of the twentieth century; The Hundred Best Films French Film History (2009); The Hundred Best Movies British Film History (2011); He has published several books of poetry, among which: I went to hunt the devil (Poetry) He has directed: - LOVE OF PSYCHOANALYSIS (2002) - Short - Silence (2003) - Short - HEART ATTACK HEART BREAK (2011) - Middle - History of Lima, a documentary about the city of Lima (2012) documentary -Largometraje -EVALUNA (2013) -short PIERPAOLO (2016) -Largometraje Currently just finished shooting the documentary: MALA (In assembly process) and: the feature film: NIGHT BACKWARDS (In post-production process) Currently she is collaborating ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL MADRID, organized by the Istituto di Cultura DI MADRID Works as theater writer internet magazine: VISION FILM & TV

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Director Statement

Mala es una ciudad cercana a la capital del Perú, Lima. Mi acercamiento a ella tuvo su motivación en un documental anterior titulado "Historias de Lima", donde descubrí esta localidad singular y llena de vida.
Mis motivaciones se basaban más que en acontecimientos relevantes, en sentimientos que necesitaban formar imagenes y llegar a formar la película que yo deseaba, o al menos una aproximación a esa película que estaba en mi cabeza.
Con un equipo reducido hasta el mínimo y con las ideas claras, auqnue sin decidir exactamente el tipo de película que resultaría, nos trasladamos a Mala durante unos días para filmar a sus gentes, que se entregaron con toda la pasión y el desinterés que solo la gente sencilla y llena de esperanza en la vida puede hacer.
Entregar su vida y su confianza a un cineasta que viene con su cámara, con su equipo de sonido, con sus preguntas... es mucho más que lo que un cineasta puede esperar... es una entrega amorosa y una confianza plena que un cineasta no puede traicionar.
La gente siempre tiene la razón cuando te lo da todo sin tener nada... un cineasta lo tiene todo y muchas veces no entrega nada a quien tanto le da...

Mala is a city near the capital of Peru, Lima. My approach to it had its motivation in an earlier documentary entitled "Historias de Lima", where I discovered this unique and lively town.
My motivations were based more on relevant events, feelings that needed to form images and get to form the film that I wanted, or at least an approximation to that film that was in my head.
With a team reduced to the minimum and with clear ideas, although without deciding exactly the type of film that would result, we moved to Mala for a few days to film their people, who surrendered with all the passion and disinterest that only the Simple and hopeful people in life can do.
Delivering your life and your trust to a filmmaker who comes with his camera, his sound equipment, his questions ... is much more than what a filmmaker can expect ... it is a loving commitment and a full confidence that a Filmmaker can not betray.
People are always right when you give everything without having anything ... a filmmaker has it all and often does not deliver anything to those who give him so much

Nuestra pelicula MALA (Notes on a city), aspira a ser no una película, sino un abrazo de confianza y entrega a los habitantes de la ciudad de Mala, que han querido expresarse por sí mismos delante de nuestra cámara, confiando en nosotros. Nos han sonreído, nos han compartido su dolor, sus esperanzas en un futuro a veces incierto, pero en el que creen abiertamente con la Fe ciega de quien nada tienen que perder y sí todo por ganar.
Esperamos de todo corazón que este pequeño grupo de historias (de vidas) toquen de alguna manera las emociones del espectador; le susurren de alguna manera, no solo en el oído, sino en la responsabilidad de reconocer al hermano, por muy diferente que las vidas de uno y otro puedan ser.
Por nuestra parte, como cineastas (artistas y humanos), deseamos haber traspasado el más allá de las imágenes, de las lentes, del proceso de montaje y la posproducción, y haber hecho nacer, sino vida, un soplo de vida.

Our film MALA (Notes on a city), aspires to be not a film, but a hug of confidence and dedication to the inhabitants of the city of Mala, who have wanted to express themselves in front of our camera, trusting us. We have smiled, shared their pain, their hopes in an uncertain future, but in which they openly believe in the Blind Faith of those who have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
We sincerely hope that this small group of stories (of lives) touch the emotions of the spectator in some way; They whisper to him in some way, not only in the ear, but in the responsibility of recognizing the brother, however different the lives of both may be.
For our part, as filmmakers (artists and humans), we wish to have transcended beyond the images, the lenses, the process of assembly and postproduction, and have given birth, but life, a breath of life.