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Araya (film)
Encyclopedia
Araya is a 1959
Venezuelan-French
documentary film
directed by Margot Benacerraf
and co-written by Benacerraf and Pierre Seghers
.
: a peninsula jutting into the Caribbean off northern Venezuela. One of the most barren regions in the world, where man depends entirely on the fruits of the sea: salt, fish.
Since its discovery by the Spaniards in 1500, the exploitation of Araya’s natural salt marshes had been done by hand. For centuries, this land remained one of the most lucrative destinations in the New World, where pirates and slave-dealers mingled with smugglers and pearl-traffickers. For those adventurers, salt was a coveted object more precious than gold…
After this splendid period, Araya became isolated in obscurity.
The story by Margot Benacerraf takes place over twenty-four hours, one full day in Araya. One day repeating like so many others had for the past 450 years.
The film was entered into the 1959 Cannes Film Festival
, where it shared the Cannes International Critics Prize with Alain Renais's Hiroshima, Mon Amour.
1959 in film
The year 1959 in film involved some significant events, with Ben-Hur winning a record 11 Academy Awards.-Events:* The Three Stooges make their 190th and last short film, Sappy Bull Fighters....
Venezuelan-French
Cinema of France
The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Margot Benacerraf
Margot Benacerraf
Margot Benacerraf is a Venezuelan director born in the city of Caracas. Benacerraf studied at IDHEC in Paris. Her two most well-known films are the documentaries Reverón and Araya. Reverón illustrates the life of the well-known Venezuelan painter Armando Reverón...
and co-written by Benacerraf and Pierre Seghers
Pierre Seghers
Pierre Seghers was a French poet and editor. During the Second World War he took part in the French Resistance movement....
.
Story
ArayaAraya
Araya is a town located on Venezuela's Caribbean coast, on the easternmost extremity of the Araya Peninsula.-Araya Fortress:The Araya Fortress is a beige-brown stone masonry fortification. The fortification was built in order to defend Araya and the Araya Peninsula against Caribbean...
: a peninsula jutting into the Caribbean off northern Venezuela. One of the most barren regions in the world, where man depends entirely on the fruits of the sea: salt, fish.
Since its discovery by the Spaniards in 1500, the exploitation of Araya’s natural salt marshes had been done by hand. For centuries, this land remained one of the most lucrative destinations in the New World, where pirates and slave-dealers mingled with smugglers and pearl-traffickers. For those adventurers, salt was a coveted object more precious than gold…
After this splendid period, Araya became isolated in obscurity.
The story by Margot Benacerraf takes place over twenty-four hours, one full day in Araya. One day repeating like so many others had for the past 450 years.
The film was entered into the 1959 Cannes Film Festival
1959 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Marcel Achard *Antoni Bohdziewicz *Michael Cacoyannis *Carlos Cuenca *Pierre Daninos *Julien Duvivier *Max Favalelli *Gene Kelly *Carlo Ponti *Micheline Presle...
, where it shared the Cannes International Critics Prize with Alain Renais's Hiroshima, Mon Amour.
External links
- Araya: Distributor Milestone Film's official site for the film