Title | Oblivion

Production Date | 2009

Running time | 93 min

Director | Heddy Honigmann

Rating | NR

Website | View website

If the city of Lima was covered in dust, nobody would see it. It is not, really, but all the same hardly anybody sees it or thinks about it, about its people cheated century after century and neglected by its rulers. In order to come out of oblivion, there needs to be an earthquake grade 8 on the Richter scale or - as it has just happened - a discovery, in the most desolate mountains in Peru, of one of the largest mass graves in the history of the dirty war between the Peruvian army and the guerrilla movement Shining Path. In 'Oblivion' (El Olvido) Lima could be any other Latin American city. Terrible things hide under its soil or in its streets full of carbon monoxide, in its bars, schools, hospitals and neighborhoods; but the country is not a hot item. As the memory of the past is one of the topics which runs through most of my films, I intended, with 'Oblivion', to celebrate, in a poetic manner, this forgotten city and its people. A few years ago, a young man who worked as a waiter in an elegant restaurant gave me the inspiration to attempt to discover my city. This young man, who I recognized after so many years away from Peru, told me how he managed to overcome with a smile the contempt he was exposed to at work. Others do it by making fun, quietly, of the class which oppresses them, remembering with pride that they have survived both economical crisis and terror organized by right and left (others entertain car drivers with pirouettes while they wait for a few coins). 'Oblivion' doesn't scream, it whispers. 'Oblivion' doesn't sob; it just cries. In 'El Olvido' a bird flies over this forgotten city and stops here and there; it flies again and finally becomes a crystal ball that a young man keeps in perfect balance, challenging anonymity. - Heddy Honigmann

ards: Special Jury Award Lima Film Festival 2009 Best Director Award, DOCNZ, International Festival New Zealand, 2009 The Eurodok Distribution Award, Eurodok Festival, Oslo, 2009 Premio Radio Exterior de Espa�a, Muestra de Cine Latinoamericano de Catalu�a, Lleida 2009 Premio Del Jurado Joven, Encuentros de Cine Sudamericano, Marseille, 2009 Crystal Film Award, The Netherlands, 2009 Fipresci award, 51st DOK, Leipzig, 2008 The Silver Dove, 51st DOK, Leipzig, 2008 The prize of the ecomenical Jury, 51st DOK, Leipzig, 2008 Stimulans, Price for Artistic Success NDL Film Fund 2008 Nominations: Best Editor Category, DOCNZ, International Film Festival New Zealand, 2009 Short synopsis: EL OLVIDO is a film about a forgotten nation whose people - through irony, determination and the power of memory - defy anonymity. directed by HEDDY HONIGMANN | edited by DANNIEL DANNIEL & JESSICA DE KONING | assistant director ESTER GOULD | photography ADRI SCHROVER |sound PIOTR VAN DIJK | dubbing mixer HUGO DIJKSTAL | written by HEDDY HONIGMANN in cooperation with JUDITH VRERIKS & SONIA GOLDENBERG | commissioning editor IKON MARGJE DE KONING | commissioning editor ZDF ANNE EVEN | produced by CARMEN COBOS A Cobos Films production in co production with IKON & ZDF-ARTE This film was made with the participation of Dutch Film Fund, CoBO FUND & Dutch Cultural Broadcasting Fund Distribution: Films Transit International Inc. � www.filmstransit.com E-mail: Jan Rofekamp Versions: Spanish with Dutch and English subtitles, colour, 93 mins & 58 mins Long synopsis: Reviews: Film Forum (English) NRC Handelsblad (Dutch) Parool (Dutch) Cinema.nl (Dutch) Deutsche Welle - El Olvido (Spanish) Deutsche Welle - Heddy Honigmann (Spanish) Copyright: � 2008 Cobos Films BV/ IKON & ZDF-ARTE