The Open Reel deals with Paulina VALENCIA and Ricardo SILVA (Spécola), Omar GUZMAN (Julia Pastrana) and Geminiano PINEDA (Cine Caníbal) for the acquisition of WILLIAM, THE NEW JUDO MASTER, second feature film directed by Locarno's Golden Leopard winner Ricardo SILVA (Navajazo, 2014), together with Omar GUZMÁN.
SCREENINGS
Thu 26 Jan - 09:15 - Pathé 6 (Press Screening) Thu 26 Jan – 19:30 - Pathé 3 Fri 27 Jan - 14:15 - Cinerama 5 Mon 30 Jan - 17:00 - LantarenVenster 2
Wed 1 Feb - 20:30 - Kino 3
WORLD SALES: THE OPEN REEL to set up a meeting:
FRANCESCA DELISE
festivals@theopenreel.com
MEXICO
directed by:
RICARDO SILVA
OMAR GUZMÁN
with:
WILLIAM CLAUSON
EDWARD COWARD
HOZE MELÉNDEZ
PAKO HOUSTON
ARAK BERNAL
2017, 95' , col.
produced by:
RICARDO SILVA
PAULINA VALENCIA
GEMINIANO PINEDA
production:
SPECOLA
JULIA PASTRANA
CINE CANIBAL
WILLIAM, THE NEW JUDO MASTER portrays the universe of an eternal being that exists within a lifecycle filled with disappointments and hopelessness. It's the chronicle about the search for love and the fight against oblivion.
"What do the oldest tree in the world, the devil and singer William Clauson (La Bamba) have in common?
In this docu-fiction on transience, directors Ricardo Silva and Omar Guzmán manage to make this a completely logical combination. Back in the 1950s, Swedish-American singer William Clauson had a worldwide hit with La Bamba. Now he lives in a ramshackle garage in Tijuana, Mexico. Ricardo Silva and Omar Guzmán show how a Mexican nurse washes his naked old body.
"How did we get here?" A voice-over muses.
"What road led us here? When did we take it?" This fascinating film essay is about the struggle against time, old age and transitoriness.
RICARDO SILVA (1984, Mexico) studied Sociology and has worked as a journalist with an interest in problems of violence. Silva made his first short film, Issbocet, in 2006.
His feature film debut came eight years later with Navajazo (2014). Silva’s second feature film, William, the New Judo Master (20017), has its international premiere at IFFR and was made in collaboration with Omar Guzmán.
OMAR GUZMÁN started his career in film as an editor and is now internationally renowned for his work with a variety of directors. He’s been Ricardo Silva’s mentor for a decade and collaborated with him in Navajazo (2014) as editor and screenwriter. Guzmán’s directorial debut, William, the New Judo Master (2016), is another collaboration between him and Silva.