Spanish stories to reach regional screen

AFTER more than twenty years showcasing Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American films, not-for-profit volunteer film group Melbourne Filmoteca will soon hold their first-ever regional screening in Ballarat.

Highlighting a local creative, the featured film Nuestras Voces (Our Voices) explores the history and culture of Spanish-speaking migrants in Victoria from the 1960s to 1980s, and was directed by Ballarat-based filmmaker Diana Paez.

A volunteer with Melbourne Filmoteca for about seven years, she said she’s excited to see her work included in the group’s first regional screening.

“It’s really special especially now that I’ve been living in Ballarat for the past few years,” she said. “Although the stories are Latin American, Spanish, they’re very relatable emotionally.

“Many things have been filmed or documented about Greek or Italian communities for example, in Victoria, but nothing about the Spanish-speaking migrants.”

The film was created as part of the State Government-supported Nuestras Voces project aimed at raising awareness about the migrant and refugee experiences of Spanish-speaking migrants arriving in Australia.

Shot at various Melbourne suburbs during COVID lockdowns, the film took about a year to produce.

Having moved to Ballarat in mid-2020, Paez edited the film locally and shot additional footage in the region.

“Sometimes I found I could go to very specific places in Ballarat that would portray the feeling I was looking to capture during parts of the testimonies,” she said.

“People who know Ballarat will see some places and moments from the film they might recognise.”

The event will also feature live music and a salsa performance by Spanish artists Leticia, and Elemento One respectively.

Following the screening, a Q&A session will take place with Paez and others involved with the project.

She said she hopes the message of the film will resonate with a regional audience.

“I’ve seen how the city is growing with cultural and diversity events, but there’s a lot of benefit the city can have from this,” she said.

“It will greatly continue to open the conversation of multiculturalism here, and not just surface-level. Many important things in Victoria have been built by people that come from different countries.”

Nuestras Voces (Our Voices) premiered in major Australian cities last year as part of Palace Cinemas’ Spanish Film Festival’s sold-out sessions.

The screening will take place from 2.30pm at Showbiz Cinemas Ballarat this Sunday 19 November. Tickets are $35 and can be booked at bit.ly/3QyOLOu.