FOCUS CINÉMA sur Mary Jimenez & Bénédicte Liénard

It is rare that two filmmakers, each already possessing a substantial filmography, decide to unite to begin a cinematic body of work made as a duo. This is the case of Mary Jimemez and Bénédicte Liénard who, since 2013.

ON THE PROGRAM:

■ Monday 16 November at 18h: SUR LES BRAISES by Mary Jimenez & Bénédicte Liénard, in their presence

(2013. Belgium/Peru. 1h25. original version with French subtitles)

On the edges of the Amazon, a family survives by selling charcoal made from the wood they char. The camera weaves through domestic spaces as well as wide open areas. It envelops the family and immerses us at the heart of all the challenges they face: the division of daily tasks, the exhaustion and remuneration of labor, intergenerational and marital bonds, the quest for independence...

■ Monday 16 November at 20h: SOUS LE NOM DE TANIA by Mary Jimenez & Bénédicte Liénard, in their presence

(2019. Belgium/Peru. 1h25. original version with French subtitles)

Based on testimonies, this hybrid film recounts the destiny of Tania, a teenager forced into prostitution in the gold mining region of Peru. Tania recalls her abduction following false job promises and the gradual loss of her identity. The camera takes us from the jungle to the bars that were the site of her exploitation. The feverish gold rush, combined with environmental destruction, makes the film resonate as an allegory of life sacrificed on the altar of capitalism.

■ Tuesday 17 November at 18h: FUGA by Mary Jimenez & Bénédicte Liénard, in their presence

(2024 – Belgium/Netherlands/France/Peru – 1h31 – original version with French subtitles)

In the heart of the Amazon, Saor, a young shaman, arrives to bury the woman who was his mistress in his native village. In death, Valentina took her secrets with her. Meeting those who were her friends, Saor dives into memories. He pierces the unsaid and gradually comes to understand the life of the woman he loved, to the point of dread.

■ Tuesday 17 November at 20h: DU VERBE AIMER by Mary Jimenez, in her presence

(1985 – Belgium/Peru – 1h25 – original version with French subtitles. Digital copy)

Her death makes me as mad as her life. This is Mary speaking. Mary Jiménez, director of "Du verbe aimer". She talks about her mother, whom she went to seek in the Peruvian landscapes of her memory.

■ Wednesday 18 November at 17h: Master Class by Mary Jimenez & Bénédicte Liénard.

Mary Jimenez and Bénédicte Liénard look back at their cinematic journeys, especially since making films as a duo, with their immersions in the Peruvian Amazon and their way of filming and giving voice to those who have none.

■ Wednesday 18 November at 20h: UNE PART DU CIEL by Bénédicte Liénard, in her presence

(2002 – Belgium/France/Luxembourg – 1h25 – digital copy from Cinematek)

Une part du ciel tells the story of resistance among incarcerated women and a group of factory workers. Claudine, a union activist in this factory, is caught up by the past that binds her to Joanna, now in prison. Joanna's lawyer asks Claudine to testify about what drove her friend to violence. But agreeing to testify would mean denouncing the union apparatus that still seems to protect her.