“Women making films”, the event that highlights female talent in the film industry

The experience of directing a film is not limited by age, sex or nationality, but by the ability to capture ideas in frames that will pass down to posterity as a record of unique visions and narratives. In this sense, cinema becomes a powerful medium for female artistic expression that, during the last decade, has taken the lead, representing Peru in film festivals and breaking records on streaming platforms.

A couple of years ago, at the Cannes Film Festival, the Peruvian cinematographic presence arrived once again in 2019 with “Canción sin nombre” by Melina León, while documentaries such as “La Voz del Huito” (2022) by Rita Sánchez and short films like “Sola” (2023) by Séneca Dávalos recently appeared to show Peruvian realities not widely explored on the big screen.

“You may think that women only make romantic films, but we have an affinity with diverse themes. In addition, we can make films with male characters, taking our perspective to show realities that are portrayed from another angle.”Sanchez mentions. “Sometimes, when carrying out testimonial work where it is necessary to go deeper into the person being portrayed, they are more willing to open up with a female director than with a male director, since there is no social stigma in showing themselves vulnerable to another man,” adds Seneca.

References in cinema

Although when talking about Peruvian cinema the first names that come to light are Francisco Lombardi or Armando Robles Godoy, on the same side of the coin there are equally important figures such as Rossana Díaz Costa, Claudia Llosa or Nora de Izcue, this latest pioneer in exploring the variety of cinematographic styles and genres.

“With Izcue there was always talk about the privileges he had when making films in those times where a camera and implements were expensive, but there is no talk about the difficulties he faced at that time due to his gender and still prevail in the industry”mentions León.

Another notable reference is Mary Jiménez, whose influence transcended geographical borders by establishing a successful career in Belgium, mixing documentary with fiction to create a diverse cinematographic corpus. “For both men and women, it is thought that it is not valid to go outside the country to make films, but it is, especially because sometimes by going out we can see the Peruvian reality from another perspective.”Leon emphasizes.

In recent years, films such as those by Ani Alva Helfer or Joanna Lombardi remain in theaters for weeks, breaking audience records on platforms such as Netflix, encouraging people to bet more on national cinema. “We are living in a time of optimism where we have a voice just like our colleagues, which does not detract from them because just as there is a ‘Juliana’, there is also a ‘Gregorio’”concludes León.