FILMOGRAPHY
MARCO BECHIS
BIOGRAPHY / MARCO BECHIS
A director, screenwriter and producer, Marco Bechis's films have an international reputation. He was born in Santiago de Chile, to a mother whose background was French-Swiss, and an Italian father. His early years were spent in Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires, and on 19 April 1977, aged twenty, he was arrested and detained in a secret prison known as "Club Atletico". Deported from Argentina for political reasons, he ended up in Milan in the same year. He has spent long periods of time in New York, Los Angeles and Paris.
He had a varied career before becoming involved in cinema: he was an elementary school teacher in Buenos Aires from 1975-1977, and a Polaroid and video artist in New York from 1978 to 1980. In 1981 he attended the Albedo film school in Milan. In 1982, in Milan, he made Desaparecidos, dove sono? ("Where are the Disappeared?"), a video installation about a concentration camp in Argentina, from which, several years later, he drew the material for his film Garage Olimpo. And then he entered the world of cinema. His films have won 22 international awards.
Every artistic activity is also a political act. An artist is someone who wishes to shake up our consciences, an artist isn't someone who paints a picture just to sell it in a gallery and live in an elegant apartment. I believe we need to redefine what is meant by political cinema, because nowadays political cinema is commercial cinema that talks about political issues [...]
How can we redefine political cinema artistically through its visual language? That's the problem, that is, how is a film's visual language to be used in a political way, and that's what I try to do. It's not enough to tell a story with a political background. Marco Bechis.
Marco Bechis at Birdwatchers film set.
Awards
BIRDWATCHERS - LA TERRA DEGLI UOMINI ROSSI
2010, One World Media - Drama Award (UK): Birdwatchers - La terra degli uomini rossi
2009, Motovun Film Festival - Amnesty International Award: Birdwatchers
2009, Golden Globes, Italy - Films That Shouldn't Be Forgotten: Birdwatchers
2008, Amazonas Film Festival (Juri President Alan Parker) - Special Juri Prize: Birdwatchers
2008, Premio C.I.C.T. UNESCO - Enrico Fulchignoni: Birdwatchers
HIJOS/FIGLI
2002, Paris Film Festival - Press Award: Hijos/Figli
2002, David di Donatello - Premio Migliore Attrice non protagonista a Stefania Sandrelli: Hijos/Figli
2001, Venice Film Festival - CinemAvvenire Award, category: Cinema For Peace Award: Hijos/Figli
2001,Castellinaria International Festival of Young Cinema - ASPI Award, category: age 16-20: Hijos/Figli
GARAGE OLIMPO
2000, Thessaloniki Film Festival - Silver Alexander and FIPRESCI Prize: Garage Olimpo
2000, Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Phoenix Prize: Garage Olimpo
2000, Golden Globes, Italy. Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Leading Actress to Antonella Costa: Garage Olimpo
2000, Lucas International Festival of Films for Childrens and Young People -First prize / Lucas and C.I.F.E.J. Award Special Mention: Garage Olimpo
2000, Cartagena Film Festival. Golden India Catalina. Best Film: Garage Olimpo
2000, Argentinean Film Critics Associations Awards. Silver Condor, Best Director and Best editor to Jacopo Quadri: Garage Olimpo
2000, Lleida Latin America Film Festival. Screen Play Award: Garage Olimpo
1999, Havana Film Festival. Gran Coral First Prize, Cuban Critics Award, Glauber Rocha Award, Gran Coral First Prie, Martin Luter King Memorial Center Award, OCIC Award:Garage Olimpo
1999, Huelva latin America Film Festival. Golden Colon: Garage Olimpo
ALAMBRADO
1993, Havana Film Festival. Gran Coral, third prize: Alambrado
1992, IMAGI Madrid, First prize (president of the jury Pedro Almodovar): Alambrado
ABSENT (short)
1984 Salsomaggiore Festival, Sezione Video-mail. First prize: Absent (short)