Mexico's film wins Audience Award

Mexico’s “Sueño en otro idioma” (I Dream in Another Language) has won the Sundance Audience Award in the world dramatic competition. Directed and written by Ernesto Contreras, the film tells the story of a pair of brothers who are the last two speakers of an old language but who haven’t talk to each other in 50 years. When a young linguist tries to bring the siblings together, a secret that could determine the future of the Zikril language is revealed in the heart of the jungle.

FILMMAKERS VS. TRUMP In his acceptance speech at awards ceremony in Park City, Utah, Contreras joined a long list of filmmakers and other artists that openly or subtly criticized president President Donald Trump’s ban on Muslims from seven nations and other controversial actions.

The 47 year-old filmmaker said the Audience Award was “significant” on many levels and, personally for him, a recognition of people of all walks of life as well as diversity, inclusion and acceptance of oneself and others. ON DIVISIVE WALLS Contreras also seemed to refer to the wall that Trump wants to build on the southern border with Mexico. Without naming the American president by name, the award winner asked fellow filmmakers to use their “imagination and magic to stop building walls and to be together.” He then thanked Sundance and added, “Let’s make our voices be heard.”

Contreras received the Sundance Audience Award from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Taylor Sheridan, who introduced the Mexican filmmaker and his winning film’s original title in flawless Spanish. The award crowned years of work by Contreras on “I Dream in Another Language” and means another win for its director at Sundance. In 2011 “Sueño en otro idioma” won the Mexican filmmaker the Sundance Institute/Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, which highlights filmmakers from different parts of the world with projects in development. May be it was fitting that the film made it’s world premiere here at Sundance 2017.

“Sueño en otro idioma” is starred by Fernando Álvarez Rebeil, Eligio Meléndez, Manuel Poncelis, Fátima Molina, Juan Pablo de Santiago, and Hoze Meléndez.

MORE INFO ON THE FILM:

Director

• Ernesto Contreras

Screenwriter

• Carlos Contreras

Producers

• Mónica Lozano

• Luis Albores

• Érika Ávila

• Eamon O'Farrill

• Raymond van der Kaaij

• Dijana Olcay-Hot

Cinematographer

• Tonatiuh Martínez

Production Designer

• Bárbara Enríquez

Costume Designer

• Gabriela Fernández

Sound

• Enrique Greiner

• Pablo Tamez

Composer

• Andrés Sánchez Maher

Editor

• Jorge Macaya

Cast:

• Fernando Álvarez Rebeil

• Eligio Meléndez

• Manuel Poncelis

• Fátima Molina

• Juan Pablo de Santiago

• Hoze Meléndez