Tribeca Film Festival announced today that it has selected the Latin American documentary ‘Primera’ to participate in the 20th anniversary of the international film festival. This year's festival, to be held from June 9th to the 20th offers a hybrid of in-person events and “Tribeca at Home,” the festival’s exclusive online premiere screenings and virtual events. ‘Primera’ was selected among foreign films and documentaries due to its vibrant Latin American production quality, story, and vision. ‘Primera’ is directed by Vee Bravo, a Chilean who was exiled from his home country in 1981, at the young age of 7. Bravo moved to New York City where he quickly became part of the Chilean community in Far Rockaway, Queens. Always connected to his Chileno roots, Bravo woke up one morning in 2019, turned on his phone, and saw that Chile had made the New York Times. There was a story about high school students jumping the turnstiles in the local subway systems as a form of protesting an increased train fare. The Chilean government quickly unleashed the military on student demonstrators resulting in brutal incidents. Bravo felt that the government’s response was eerily reminiscent of the deadly tactics used by General Pinochet during the dictatorship period of the 70s and 80s. “In the ’70s and ’80s, we didn’t have the power of the internet to share what was actually happening in Chile. Now, we do. I knew I had to do my part in bringing this story to the world stage,” Bravo said. So, in October of 2019, a few days after reading this news from his Brooklyn apartment, Bravo jumped on a plane and headed to Chile. Bravo’s initial goal was to simply document the reports of human rights abuses, protests, and the political atmosphere of Chile. Little did he know, this documentation would lead to the creation of a full-length documentary film, “Primera.” Within 2 weeks of Bravo’s arrival in Chile in October of 2019, a recorded ten million Chileans had taken to the streets demanding a new constitution. Primera tells the story of four parents-turned activists who are leading Chile’s revolutionary path to a new constitution. Bravo developed relationships with Anji, Camila, Felipe, and Male, who spent their days as pastry chefs, street musicians, welders, and attorneys. These 4 everyday citizens became front-line movement leaders after witnessing violent actions from the Chilean military towards the protestors. The very next day they each assembled their neighbors and hit the streets to stand in solidarity with demonstrators in the service of a new Chile. ‘Primera’ tells the painful, raw, brave, vivid, and hopeful story of how the courage and resilience of these main characters, who serve as a representation for the millions of people involved, ultimately led to a country’s story of success and victory. In a country-wide vote, the voices of almost 80% of Chile screamed for a new constitution. Their voices were heard, and Chile is currently in the process of voting to see who authors the new constitution. Primera serves as a blueprint for a new democracy, highlighting themes of women-led movements, social and structural change, and mutual aid. “I made this film to honor the legacy and story of the main characters. I learned nothing about Latin culture in high school. Nothing. We have been made to be invisible in this country, and I wanted to make sure we are in the history books for the next generations. That’s why I told the story, with the help of a team that was almost entirely Chilean. So the generations to come can see the everyday people that fought victoriously for a new constitution and a new democracy. I see myself as an agent of history that had to make a choice. Doing this film was the choice, and I gave it everything. But I didn’t do it for me. I did it for them,” said Vee Bravo, director of ‘Primera.’ TICKETS |
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About the FilmmakersABOUT VEE BRAVO: DIRECTOR & PRODUCER, ‘PRIMERA’Vee Bravo is a New York native by way of Chile who has documented hip hop, youth culture and politics for the past 25 years. During that time span he co-founded Stress Magazine and launched a series of music, media and film production initiatives across public schools. As a filmmaker Bravo co-produced, with Loira Limbal, the PBS documentary Estilo Hip Hop [2009] which chronicles the rise of hip hop activism across Latin America. In 2009 he was hired by the late Albert Maysles to launch the Education Department at the Maysles Documentary Center. From 2011-2018, Bravo served as Vice President Education at Tribeca Film Institute. Here, Bravo spearheaded a vast array of filmmaking and social impact programs that reached an excess of 30,000 students in public schools and prisons across the nation. In addition, Bravo has served as a story consultant to George Lucas and Oprah Winfrey. Bravo is currently producing and directing PRIMERA, a feature length documentary about present-day social uprising in Chile. ABOUT CATHERINE GUND: PRODUCER, ‘PRIMERA’Founder and Director of Aubin Pictures, Catherine Gund is an Emmy-nominated producer, director, writer, and activist. Her media work focuses on strategic and sustainable social transformation, racial justice, arts and culture, HIV/AIDS and reproductive justice, and the environment. Her films have screened around the world in festivals, theaters, museums, and schools; on PBS, the Discovery Channel, Sundance Channel, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. In addition to numerous direction credits, Catherine’s producing credits include, include Primera (directed by Vee Bravo); Peculiar Silence: A Day in Angola (a work-in-progress directed by Cinque Northern), a short documentary that tells the story of how a 2020 performance of the acclaimed play “A Peculiar Patriot” by performer and playwright Liza Jessie Peterson was censored in America’s largest plantation prison, Angola, the Louisiana State Penitentiary; America (directed by Garrett Bradley), a short documentary that explores the intersection of race, history, and visual storytelling through a series of 12 silent, black and white, 35mm films; A Touch of Greatness (directed by Leslie Sullivan); Motherland Afghanistan (directed by Sedika Mojadidi); and On Hostile Ground (directed by Liz Mermin and Jenny Raskin). ABOUT KEVIN LOPEZ: PRODUCER, ‘PRIMERA’Kevin A. Lopez is a film and commercial director & producer known for his work on the short documentary film Mind Up (2016), and the feature films The Inquisition of Camilo Sanz (2014), The Hudson Tribes (2016), and Paradise City (2020). In 2021, Kevin produced the feature length documentary film titled PRIMERA, about the present-day social uprising in Chile. Kevin is the co-founder of LPZ Media, a NYC based production company producing high-end branded documentaries for top brands and marketing agencies. He is also a film and media arts educator working with New York City Public Schools and community based organizations focused on bridging the gap between media companies and under-represented communities. Kevin has a graduate degree from The University at Buffalo's Media Studies program as well as a master’s degree in Education from City College. ABOUT ELISA CORREA: EDITOR, ‘PRIMERA’Independent Chilean filmmaker Elisa Correa graduated with a bachelor's degree in film from the Chile Film School (Escuela de cine de Chile) in Santiago and then an associate degree in screenwriting at Palermo University, Buenos Aires Argentina. Upon graduation, Elisa worked on the production team at two major broadcasting networks: TVN and Channel 13 in Chile. In 2013 Elisa moved to New York and started working with different companies as a freelance editor and shooter, providing services for Community Access, American Field Service, Unseen Films, PI&C, Valleto, Curet Performance Project, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Gallim, Jadore Love, Shutter and Sound, School CNXT, The Square, Roche Bobois and Mass Appeal. |
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