Two ITVS Films to Premiere at Sundance

Granito

Two  ITVS-funded films will have their documentary premiere at Sundance: Granito by filmmaker Pamela Yates and The Interrupters by filmmaker Steve James.

In Yates’s Granito, an documentary film she made intertwines with Guatemala’s turbulent history and emerges as an active player in a nation’s struggle to heal itself and serve up justice.

The Interrupters from Academy Award-winning director of Hoop Dreams Steve James, tells a story of ex-gang members who are now protecting their communities from the violence they themselves once employed.

The Interrupters

Screening dates and times are still pending. You can find up-to-date information online at Sundance.

You should also check out this clip from the producers of Granito as they explain the process behind making their film.

Tags: film festival, granito, Sundance, the interrupters

Granito Makes Good Use of the Past

A Scene from Granito

Granito is a story of destinies joined by Guatemala’s past, and how a documentary film from 1982 — When the Mountains Tremble — became forensic evidence to help prove a genocide case against a military dictator.

In Granito, the characters sift for clues buried in archives of mind and place and historical memory, seeking to uncover a narrative that could unlock the past and settle matters of life and death in the present. Like a crime thriller where the narrative is revealed step by step, this epic film travels between present and past, uncovering evidence of massive crimes and bringing accountability to the present.

The film, by Pamela Yates and Paco de Onis, was selected during last year’s round of Open Call.

Watch the producers of Granito answer questions about the film below.

Tags: documentary, granito, ITVS, Open Call, PBS, public television