Araya (1959)

Araya: Directed by Margot Benacerraf. With José Ignacio Cabrujas, Laurent Terzieff. “Araya” is an old natural salt mine located in a peninsula in northeastern Venezuela which was still, by 1959, being exploited manually five hundred years after its discovery by the Spanish. Margot Benacerraf captures in images, the life of the “salineros” and their archaic methods of work before their definite disappearance with the arrival of the industrial exploitation.

“u0026quot;Arayau0026quot; is a movie that makes you want to cry… it is so beautiful in its black and white and its simpleness that itu0026#39;s an equivalent of Neorealism but without the sadness. This movie shared the Cannes Award with none other than u0026quot;Hiroshima, mon amouru0026quot;, althought it has had less luck in becoming a well known film. Its director founded the Cinemateca Nacional (a place where one can see many good old movies) and is also President of Fundavisual Latina, so although she hasnu0026#39;t directed anyome she continues to work on cinema.”