Presente pasado y futuro del cine Ecuatoriano (en ingles) parte 1

Hice esta monografia en el colegio como trabajo final de 5to curso en ingles espero que les guste( creative comons for the win!)

Introduction




Film making in Ecuador is a thing. It starts in 1901 in Guayaquil when using Edison´s "vitascope" that projected images of (in a very god fearing way) "Reproducción de las escenas de la Pasión y Muerte de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo" and also "Los Funerales de la Reina Victoria" along with takes of the Paris exposition of 1900. Film making back then was very much like a freak show.It was a thing of marvel and magic, a thing that competed next to dancing apes, midgets and beard women… nothing but a circus attraction. Not art. But, film in Ecuador wouldn´t take its title as art until the late 70’s and early 80’s. Only then will Ecuador start to shed roots to grow a bit because true art film is not produced in Ecuador until 90’s with "Ratas, Ratones y Rateros" witch are the first successful attempt at art, film art.

So what happened along the way?



















CHAPTER 1
1900-1950








In 1910 in Guayaquil the first Ecuadorian film society is born It was called "Ambos mundos”. They distributed and produced, with funding from Francisco Parra y Eduardo Rivas Orz, which I can only assume as there is no info on them that they were rich "guayaquileños" who loved film. They show film in Guayaquil at a place called "Edén" and in Quito in the theatre owned by "Instituto Mejía". In these rudimentary stages of film creation that it´s time allowed "ambos mundos” they had a project to create the Ecuadorian film industry and promote film creation. This project was a failure due to the murder of Eloy Alfaro.

In 1922 José Ignacio Bucheli films in Quito "Las festividades del Centenario de la Indepenencia". But in august 7th of 1924, the first argumentative full length feature film "El Tesoro de Atahualpa", was produced. This film, produced by the Ecuador Film Co., was directed and financed by Agusto San Miguel, a young Guayaquileño. Augusto San Miguel is the sole filmmaker that created the mini golden age of Ecuadorian cinema at a time in Guayaquil Ecuador when 6 films were made in a span of one year and 4 months by Augusto San Miguel.

Then from 1924 to the ending 80’s nothing really important happened, just small events that had little weight to an overall picture.

In 1929, a western is filmed in the city of Ambato in a very crude and rudimentary way. In September of the year 1931 the film " Guayaquil de mis amores" produced by Ecuador Sono Films is produced.

In the next years in film, the films become more elaborate and have a better technical side, mostly thanks that films are vastly made to co-productions with other countries, mainly Mexico and Colombia.

In 1934 is the grand opening of Quito´s "Teatro Bolívar" and in 1936 is finalized the construction of the theater/cinema "Capitol". In 1937, the swish Rolf Blomberg films his first film in Ecuador "Vikingos en las islas de las tortugas Galápagos".



Dramatic pause for lack or relevant content apart from a few unimportant cinemas opening and closing, no important films were made, and then we go onto the 50s...




















CAPTER 2

1950- 2007s









The "guayaquileño" Gabriel Tramontana opens in 1953 film progress labs that help a great deal to develop and push film forward for the next 40 years. In 1954, the "cuencano" Agustín Cueva, a reporter, dose a series of documentaries about various cities of Ecuador. He films "Cuenca en colores"," Ambato en colores", "Quito en colores", "Riobamba en colores", etc.

In 1956 in Quito the "Cine Club Quito" is born, a son’s project of the "Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana" and it starts its first activities directed by the writer " Jorge Enrique Adoum".
In Costa Rica, the Ecuadorian touristic film “Un viaje a Galápagos” made by Gabriel Tramontana wins an award. From 1958 the first soviet film festival is held in the "Teatro Universitario de Quito".

In the 60’s starts off with the premiere of the film "Los guambras" (1961), a coproduction between the "Industria Fílmica Ecuatoriana" and the Ecuadorian ministry of education. In 1966, "Universidad Central del Ecuador" founds the Cine Club Universitario under the wing of Ulises Estrella. The group states that it tries to create a specialized group for cinema debate. In 1967, the "Municipio de Guayaquil" awards a short made by Alberto Borges called "Pasos y a Elio Armas por el corto Carbón". The following year (1968) the same guy Alberto Borges wins with the film "El Cristo de Nuestras Angustias".

In the 70s, thanks to the petroleum ¡boom!, the production of various shorts will be possible, also in 1975 the "Encuentro de Realizadores Cinematográficos Ecuatorianos" takes place in Guayaquil. In 1977, the "Primer Concurso Nacional de Cortometrajes de Cine y Televisión" takes place, no record of who won is kept. In 1977 the "II Encuentro Iberoamericano de Realizadores Cinematográficos" takes place, the contest organized by the "Centro Municipal de Cultura de la Municipalidad de Guayaquil". At this gathering, the organization ASOCINE loosely translated to the Ecuadorian association of film makers, is created.

In 1978, The department of culture of the city of Quito with the help from 8 embassies, organizes the first international film festival in Quito called "Primer Festival Internacional de Cine Ciudad De Quito".

In 1979 the "Unión Nacional de Periodistas" or the national union of journalists produces the short "Hasta cuándo Padre Almeida", based on the local legend of the outgoing priest. Also in 1979, the documentary "Chimborazo" is filmed along with "Testimonio Campesino de los Andes Ecuatorianos", codirected by Fredy Elhers, Rodrigo Robalino and Tom Alandt. That year also, the "Primer Encuentro Nacional de Cineastas" (the first national congress of film makers) takes place to try to help the first "film law" pass that was proposed by ASOCINE.

The 80s start off nicely thank to the passing of the first Ecuadorian film law which states that all public spectacles will be exonerated by 100% of their taxes(Registro Oficial Nº 104) . That helped to kick start the production of 20 feature films and documentaries.

In 1981, Camilo Luzuriaga premiers the short film "Don Eloy", which gets second place at the First Ecuadorian film Festival, organized in Quito. The same year the "Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana" (Ecuadorian house of culture) and the Cine Club Ciudad de Quito(film club city of Quito) organize the "Primer Encuentro Andino de Cineastas", the first summit of Andes film makers, the event ends in the creation of the National Cinematec, as a son project of the Ecuadorian house of culture.

Many films get produced in the year 1983 through 1984 like :"Tiag" (Igor & Gustavo Guayasamín),"Tequiman" (Jorge Vivanco & Cristóbal Corral) "Tiempo de mujeres" (Mónica Vásquez), "Luar Trocas y Un lagarto verde" (Fundación Guayasamín), "La casa de Bernarda Alba" (Santiago Carcelén).


In 1986 again a summit named "The first summit of Ecuadorian film makers" takes place in Azuay which, according to record, is actually quite productive compared to other summits having made accounted for the production and diffusion of film and film making in Ecuador. Also in 1986, the Cinematec gave a workshop on Art film for children. The workshop produces the short animations "La niña de los patios" and "Cochasquí", made by children who attended the workshop.

Also in 1986, the " Cinemateca Nacional del Ecuador " with funding from the UNESCO starts a project to save ecuadorian films. About 2 hundred items from video to film, ranging from 3 films from the 1920, are transferred to a secure format at the Cinematec of Sao Paulo, Brasil.

In 1987 the first generation of Ecuadorian film makers travels to Cuba to study film at the "Escuela Internacional San Antonio de los Baños" in Cuba. Among them is Tania Hermida.