Movies, Mexican drug cartels and overcoming fear

The Sault Latin Wave Film Festival took place this weekend for the second time in Sault Ste. Marie.

Among the five films that were screened was El Alcalde (The Mayor), a documentary that follows Mexican politician and businessman Mauricio Fernández Garza, and examines the relationship between politics, power and the drug cartels.

Director of the The Mayor, Carlos Rossini, came to the Sault for the first time to discuss his film post-screening.

"My business partner and I wanted to make the film in first person, which is difficult to do in a documentary. We wanted to examine the use of violence in this power struggle, and how the population deals with it," said Rossini.

When asked about any fears he had delving into the treacherous world of drug cartels, Rossini said he would not allow himself to feel fear because he believes it freezes people.

"You cannot let fear get to you in these kind of situations. Yes there were dangers, but we did not let fear stop us from what we were doing."

There was one time, however, that Rossini did feel fear during the making of the documentary.

"One morning they killed a guy that was dealing with us all the time, the chief of security, Carlos. He was killed in the same vehicle that we used to be driven in. We had a relationship with him. It was a terrible thing to be in another city and hear this happened to him."

When it comes to his main character, Rossini felt they were lucky to find a politican like Mauricio who was willing to open up about such a tight-lipped subject.

"[Mauricio] is unique because he is the only politician really talking about violence. He let us into his life and we are grateful for that," said Rossini. "We developed a relationship throughout the three years of filming. It was a challenge for both of us. We may not agree on our viewpoints, but we both wanted a part in the conversation."

The Sault Latin Wave Film Festival is part of a cultural program based out of Argentina and sponsored by Tenaris.

"We are running 15 film festivals worldwide, only in communities where Tenaris is based." said festival organizer Guillermo Goldschmidt. "For Canada, we work with a lead programmer of the Toronto International Film Festival, Diana Sanchez. We build a long list of films, and they assist us in narrowing it down to decide which films are screened in each festival."

"The common thread between these Latin films is that they are local stories told in a global way. We often do not have the resources to make Hollywood-style blockbusters, but the stories have something all people can relate to," said Goldschmidt.

The festival is likely to expand in the near future, as Goldschmidt expressed his excitement about a developing partnership with Sault College.

"For the first time we did this partnership with Sault College. It is very important for us to try and find local partners to develop the program," said Goldschmidt. "Another good thing about this is that we're screening some short films from a student here in Sault Ste. Marie, so there's a local connection as well."

Local digital film student Justine Chalykoff had five of her short films screened at the festival on Saturday.

Goldschmidt hopes that some teaching opportunities and classes may emerge out of the partnership with Sault College.

All involved in the Sault Latin Wave are focused on long-term growth, so don't miss out on a chance to ride this cultural wave next time it hits the Sault.