The screening will be preceded by a keynote presentation about the current situation in Venezuela, and how the crisis is affecting neighbouring Latin American countries, delivered by Shiva Mohan, PhD Candidate, Wilfrid Laurier University. There will be a post-screening Q&A with our guest speaker, Mr. Shiva Mohan, PhD Candidate, Wilfrid Laurier University and Dr. Mario Boido, Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo, specialist in Visual culture.
Synopsis: Handyman José lives with his family in La Soledad, a dilapidated villa located in what was once among Caracas’ most affluent neighborhoods. After learning that the villa’s owners are planning to sell the estate, José seeks any solution that might keep his six-year-old daughter from growing up in Caracas’ crime-sodden slums. Might that fabled treasure supposedly hidden in La Soledad’s walls offer José’s family a chance at a better life?
Jorge Thielen Armand’s feature debut carves fiction from reality: La Soledad was once his family’s home; this story is true, acted out by the people who lived it. La Soledad looks beyond the headlines and gives a voice to those affected by contemporary Venezuela’s inner turmoil. It is a magnificent feat of real-life storytelling—and a profound fusion of creativity and compassion.
Spanish with English subtitles, 89 min.