Locarno’s open doors: “Diamonds” powered by Impatia, Maravilla

Buenos Aires-based Maravilla Cine, producer of Berlin Panorama 2018 “Marilyn” and San Sebastian 2020 New Director song “That Weekend”, boarded the ship “Diamond” (“Diamante”), Bolivia’s first feature film Yashira Jordán and is appearing as one of the standout titles at this year’s Locarno Open Doors.

Maravilla Cine joins the lead producer of “Diamond” Impatia Cinemas, quickly establishing itself as a production hub for Bolivian authors. Recent credits include Martin Bullock’s “The Visitor,” which premiered at the Tribeca Festival in June, and Alejandro Quiroga’s “Los de Abajo,” winner of the Sanfic Industria pix-in-post in March 2021.

Empatia Cinema and Maravilla Cine jointly applied for a development grant from the Ibermedia Regional Film Fund for Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Impatia’s Alvaro Olmos Torrico said the incentives would be announced in late November.

“Diamond” intervenes in two directions that support more of the best emerging cinema from Spain and Latin America: the emergence of female writers who blend local detail with magical realism or horror allegories to make a visible impact: think of Elena López Riera’s success in Cannes with “The Water” or “Huesera” by Michel Garza Cervera; LGBTQ worlds thrive in conservative strongholds—such as rural Latin America or traditional indigenous communities—as havens for freedom for established rebels.

Produced by Olmos Toriko, Jordan and Paula Zingermann and produced by Impatia Cinemas, “Diamond” is seen as an upcoming drama. Living in a town in the Andes mountains of Bolivia, Petra is disturbed by the traditions of her community, including the complete subordination of women who are supposed to cook, bear children and serve their men in lodgings, three-day celebrations dedicated to the Catholic Virgin or the Sun. . By contrast, Petra refuses to wear a Bolera dress, and sings in hip-hop in her native Quechua.

One day, she receives a letter from her father, who was expelled from her family years ago. Fleeing to El Alto in La Paz – the capital of Bolivia – she reconnected with him, realizing the vital force of transformation.

“Petra is a rebel, and she must find her community to recover. This is how she discovers the world of Andean Queer, where she can finally feel a sense of belonging,” Jordan said in the director’s statement.
Pop culture, exaggerated mega-images, neo-Andean buildings and fluorescent colors are all part of the urban landscape of El Alto, where Petra gets lost in search of her father. In this fusion of magical realism and the ruthlessness of my Bolivian culture, I see how the characters of this film can evolve and shine. “.

“Diamante” is a risky and crucial bet for Bolivian cinema to highlight the complex situation of the LGTBIQ+ community,” added Olmos. “By understanding our Bolivian context, we believe that more productions by female filmmakers are needed. For this reason, we trust Yashira’s talent and the sensitive story she has developed on this project.”