Costa Rica 1975(1975)

Oscar Arias: Without a Shot Fired(en)

This is the story of a tiny country that made a decision to do something that no other country had ever done -- it decided to abolish its army and declare peace to the world. And this is the story of a young boy who grew up in that country, and how he ended up challenging -- and sometimes even convincing -- the greatest powers in the world to follow Costa Rica's example. "Oscar Arias: Without a Shot Fired" is a Don Quixote-like saga with great historical touchstones -- Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, Cold War politics and Communism, Central American War and Peace. It follows a slight, academic, and most unlikely hero over the course of more than fifty years, as he travels the world in a quest to stop the spread of the weapons of war. In the end, it is a story about the triumph of reason, of the sparrow triumphing over the eagle, and how the impossible dream can sometimes come true.

Man Painting(es)

The painter Alfredo Romero locks himself in his studio-apartment in the Estación de Francia neighborhood in Mollet del Vallès (Barcelona) to create the final painting of his series Paisajes interiores (Inner Landscapes). The director of this film does the same, but to create his own work about the painter's creative process. Premiered at Documenta Madrid in 2009.

Puntualidad(es)

Atar(es)

Remembering So We Don't Forget(es)

Poetic images emerge from everyday life, interweaving with narratives that recall traces of events from the last civic-ecclesiastical-military dictatorship in the city of La Plata.

Memorias Encuadradas(es)

One hundred years of the cinematic memory of a small country told through motion graphics. A brief tour of previously unseen images and forgotten fragments of Costa Rican cinema, which, amid state efforts and industrial ambitions, prevailed throughout the 20th century.

The Hummingbird Effect(en)

Costa Rica's motto is Pura Vida - Pure Life - and this deceptively small country is bursting with some of the most spectacular wildlife and pristine ecosystems in the world. All this diversity thrives, in part, thanks to one surprising little creature: hummingbirds. Venture across Costa Rica's wild and rugged landscapes, from volcanic peaks to coastal jungle to misty cloud forests and discover the nation's dazzling diversity of hummingbirds. Watch how these tiny birds play an outsize role in maintaining some of the richest and wildest environments on Earth, where a whole community of creatures, such as macaws and monkeys, enjoys The Hummingbird Effect.

Through the Gaze of the Cockfighter(es)

What motivates a cock-fighter to fight a rooster he loves? In Costa Rica, cockfighting is considered a crime and has been banned for 99 years. A large part of society rejects this tradition and those who practice it, but is it fair to morally judge a cock-fighter as a criminal? We will get to know the other side of the coin through the gaze of the cock-fighter.

Ícaros(xx)

In the late 1970s, Marcel fled Catalonia to avoid conscription into the Spanish military. For 30 years he has been living in the tropical forests of Costa Rica, where he hosts ayahuasca ceremonies for young seekers from the West.

The Route of the Conquerors(es)

In times of global ecological crisis, Costa Rica seems to be an oasis for its rich biodiversity. Nacho traces a route to learn about agroecological projects, discovering what the indigenous communities call "good living" Could this be the solution?

Es Para Un Videodiario(es)

Mike is a young film student who is tasked with creating a video diary for his Fiction Production class during his fifth semester of university. With only a cellphone in hand, he begins documenting his daily life, without imagining that he will capture important and emotional moments which will be remembered forever.

It's a Jungle Out There... An Independent Film in Costa Rica(en)

An Independent Film in Costa Rica

Frostbitten(es)

Calling on Costa Rica(en)

This travelogue of Costa Rica, the second smallest of the American republics, starts at San Jose Airport. Transportation is key within the country, boasting among the best roads in the world. San Jose itself is the capital, a small city of about 70,000, with many recreational areas in its suburbs. Heading out of the city, we come to an orchid farm, there being said to be more varieties of the plant in Costa Rica than anywhere else in the world. Next, we move to the volcanic mountains, the range within Costa Rica which contains the largest crater in the world. We then move to the farmland, with coffee and bananas being the primary agricultural export crops.

Demolitions(es)

After the news of the sale of the house where we lived for the last 15 years and its imminent demolition, I felt the need to revisit my story, marked by a violent childhood. Digging into the personal archives that I started filming at the age of 19, I discover that my life was very similar to my mothers and I decide to start a dialogue with her, in the hope of healing a shared wound.

AQAQUÑI(qu)

Efímero(es)

Behind Bars(es)

Juan López is going to his first pelota paleta tournament match as a registered player, but he's on the bench. However, there's a chance he might get on the court.

Ambel: una historia de Cehegín(es)

This short documentary explores the filmmaking process behind Ambel (2014), a historical drama directed by José María López Oñate. The film tells the story of Martín de Ambel, a 17th-century nobleman who, after a duel of honor in which he kills the town’s Chief Constable, Don Alonso de Góngora, is forced to take refuge for more than 30 years in the Church of La Concepción to preserve his life.

Shark Land: Welcome to Cocos Island(en)

“Entourage” star Adrian Grenier ventures to Cocos Island off the shore of Costa Rica to bring attention to the plight of endangered sharks who are being threatened by poachers and ocean pollution.