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Sometimes a film makes history; it doesn’t
just document it. Such is the case with Granito, the
astonishing new film by Pamela Yates. Part political thriller,
part memoir, Granito takes us through a riveting, haunting
tale of genocide and justice that spans four decades, two
films, and in many ways, Yates’s own career. Embedded
in Granito is Yates’s seminal 1982 film, When the
Mountains Tremble, which introduced the world to the tragedy
of the genocide carried out against the Mayan people by the
Guatemalan government and propelled Mayan activist Rigoberta
Menchú to the international stage. During filming,
Yates was allowed to shoot the only known footage of the army
as it carried out the genocide. Twenty-five years later, this
film and its outtakes become evidence in an international
war-crimes case against the former commander of the army,
and Yates reunites with Menchú, now a Nobel laureate,
and others who continue to contribute their granito
(tiny grain of sand) in a continuing quest for the truth.
--Cara Mertes, Sundance Film Festival
“Doesn’t
simply relate history; it is also part of history.”
-- Stephen Holden, The New York Times
“The film is
gripping.
But not only that, it is in itself evidence of the importance
of filmmaking.
If you think films can't change the world, see this film and
think again.”
-- Jennifer Merin, About.com
“Plays like
a good thriller…one of the most unique documentaries
[at Sundance this year] was Pamela Yates’ GRANITO.
This is because the film is not just an investigation of social
injustice but a commentary on the documentary filmmaker’s
role in the events he or she chronicles…”
-- Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter
“Hair-Raising”
-- Lewis Beale, NY Daily News
“With remarkable
courage [the filmmakers] made their way
to the heart of the rebel insurgency.”
-- Andrew Marr, BBC
“GRANITO slips
smoothly across time and space.
Part investigation, part reflection, and part memoire.”
-- Stuart Nusbaumer, Filmmaker Magazine |
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