Share:
[eltdf_dropcaps type=”normal” color=”” background_color=””]S[/eltdf_dropcaps]tarting at 10:30 am one could hear the screams and cheers from the teams participating in the Identity and Belonging University Competition. At the start of the event, the participants took pictures and video for the press; one could feel the joy, the excitement, everyone dressed formally and one could see signs to support each team. The Auditorium of the University of Guanajuato was filled and began with the words of Sarah Hoch.
The screening began among the cheering and the screaming and we watched the Identity and Belonging Documentary Shorts. It must be mentioned that the participants from these universities were coached by experts in cinema in different areas, where they were given the necessary tools to compete in this event. The participating municipalities were San Miguel de Allende, León, Valle de Santiago, Celaya and Moroleón.
Secretary of Tourism Fernando Olivera Rocha presented along with Sarah Hoch, announcing the awards: $15,000 for third place; $25,000 for second place; and $30,000 for first place. The screenings launched with a presentationfrom the University of Celaya with El Diablito, about the hard work done by the carriers at the market in Celaya; followed by Konnichiwa from Ibero León talking about the cultural integration of Japanese people in Guanajuato.
The next film was from La Salle Bajío University. En tus zapatos, abour Claudio and his family, artisan shoemakers who share experiences in every single detail of their work; Claudio was present at the screening and he thanked the audience for their support and showed off, encouraged by Sarah Hoch, his beautiful shoes.
The fourth documentary was from the San Miguel Allende Institute titled Entre Gigantes with the presence of a “Mojiganga”, the project’s central topic and a lifestyle as mentioned by the film’s protagonists. The fifth film was from UTSOE in Valle de Santiago withl Sangre de mi Tierra, about Benjamín, a 79-year-old manwho works the tradition of “agave”. The final film was from University of León campus Moroleón with Destinos entretejidos, about two men involved in the daily work of making artisan shawls in the cities of Moroleón and Uriangato.
To conclude this event, the winners were announced for the Identity and Belonging Documentary Contest: Third place went to Destinos entretejidos by the University of León campus Moroleón; second place went to En tus zapatos by Universidad La Salle Bajío and the coveted first place prize was for Sangre de mi Tierra by the UTSOE in Valle de Santiago.