The pre-opening of the 7th short film festival, “A Festival is Too Short,” was held on Tuesday, April 3, at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in Nice. The association presented “Hay Motivo!”
The pre-opening of the 7th short film festival: “A Festival is Too Short” took place last night at the Agora of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in Nice. The association Héliotrope projected, in front of a mostly student audience, an excerpt from “Hay Motivo!” This project of 33 short films, made in 2004 by 33 Spanish directors, aims to denounce the Spanish political and social reality. These short films focused specifically on the policies of José Maria Aznar (former president of the People’s Party and President of the Spanish Government from 1996 to 2004). “Hay Motivo” reveals the issues that the Spanish executive power has neglected, manipulated, and hidden from the public opinion. No subject is forgotten.
“Libre” offers a retrospective on political and social current events, between a taxi driver and his client. “Soledad” highlights the loneliness and poverty of the elderly. “El club de las mujeres muertas” relates, in direct and unequivocal terms, the pain of battered women. “Catequesis” addresses the issue of clerical pedophilia against the backdrop of state protection (in a country where the state funds churches), narrated by an elderly lady, whose text (by Juan José Millas) is striking in its words and lack of taboos. “Las Barranquillas” casts a critical eye, through striking images and interviews, on the state of neglect (in shantytowns steps away from Madrid) of HIV-positive drug users, who lack adequate support and have slim chances of receiving proper care. However, amidst this flood of compelling images, one short film chose humor to advocate for a more dignified birthing process. “Por tu propio bien” features a “pregnant man.” This hairy Spaniard takes the place of a woman in labor. “Childbirth belongs to us, give it back to us!” concludes the short film, highlighting the lack of naturalness and tranquility needed during this act.
Finally, “Muertos de segunda” revisits the death of the Spanish cameraman killed during the attack on Baghdad, (following the firing of an American tank at the Palestine Hotel). The family’s testimonies are harsh but objective, again highlighting the difficult exercise of the right to freedom of expression. This series of shorts thus provides an enlightened view on censorship and taboos, revealing only the facts. The Héliotrope association, through these short films, shows us the power of the “short form” expressed in the year 2004. Spain is not so far away and resembles us like two bitter drops of water.
[https://www.nicefilmfestival.com/](https://www.nicefilmfestival.com/)
