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Si Pudiera Desear Algo (If I Could Wish for Something)

Dora García

video, color, 16:9, Spanish & Purépecha spoken, BE/FR/MX/NO, 2021, 68’

About this film, Dora García writes:
The inspiration and point of departure of this film is an old song, written in 1930 by German composer Friedrich Holländer: “Wenn ich mir was wünschen dürfte”. This song, translated into Spanish as “Si pudiera desear algo” (If I Could Wish for Something), has been in my memory for as long as I can remember. It expresses poetically a very complex concept: that the disappointment of women has been going on for so long, the promise made to them by the revolution has remained for so long unfulfilled, delayed, negated, that the sadness, the vulnerability derived from this feeling of abandonment has been turned into a shelter and a shield, perhaps even a sword. In sadness, we overcome the temptation to feel victimized and instead use pain as a conduit to recognize another’s suffering, opening the possibility for an encounter with other struggles. With this in mind, I wanted to create a contemporary equivalent of the old song, that could function as a soundtrack to the incredible feminist demonstrations that have been taking place – modifying and appropriating public space and public discourse – in the city of Mexico in the last 5 years. The film follows two paths: one, a collective recollection of images and sounds from these feminist marches in Mexico City; two, the composition, recording and final performance of the film theme song by trans artist La Bruja de Texcoco.

Puma de Plata Ahora México a la Mejor Película at Festival Internacional de Cine UNAM, Mexico 2022.

The publication ‘If I Could Wish for Something’ is published by Idea Books.

Principal cinematography Miriam Ortiz
Camera assistant Fernanda Vázquez
Additional cinematography Gisela Castillo, Lilian Cuervo, Luchadoras, Regina López, Esthel Vogrig, Liz Misterio & Una Pardo
Editing Simon Arazi & Dora García
Editing assistant Guillermo Mendiguren
Music Jan Mech
Theme song “Nostalgia” by La Bruja de Texcoco, 2021
Sound recording Isis Puente
Sound mix and design Laszlo Umbreit
Sound mix assistant Luc Aureille at Le Fresnoy
Color grading Baptiste Evrard at Le Fresnoy
Credits Fairuz
Production Auguste Orts, Olga Rodríguez, Estelle Benazet (Le Fresnoy) & Alaíde Castro Hernández (Antítesis Films)
Produced by Auguste Orts & Le Fresnoy – National Studio of Contemporary Arts
With the support of Le Fresnoy, Flanders Audiovisual Fund, Arts Council Norway, The Audio and Visual Fund, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Norwegian Artistic Research Programme, Fotogalleriet Oslo & Netwerk Aalst

Si Pudiera Desear Algo (If I Could Wish for Something) has been on display at:

The Cube Bristol, (US) Sunday, Sep 29 2024 Uniondocs New York, (US) Saturday, Sep 7 2024 TU University Dublin, (IE) Thursday, Apr 11 2024 Amant New York, (US) Jun 29–Sep 17 2023 Konst i Hudiksvall, (SE) Sunday, Jun 4 2023 Film Festival Tampere, (FI) Wednesday, Mar 8 2023 Klappei Antwerpen, (BE) Wednesday, Mar 8 2023 Laboratorio Arte Alameda Mexico, (MX) Nov 24 2022–Mar 26 2023 Ojo libre Morelia, (MX) Thursday, Nov 24 2022 Festival De Cine Documental Y Derechos Humanos De Errenteria Gipuzkoa, (ES) Nov 21–Nov 26 2022 Visite Festival Antwerpen, (BE) Sunday, Nov 20 2022 Arktisen Upeeta -festivaali Jyväskylä, (FI) Saturday, Nov 19 2022 BEAF Arts Co Bournemouth, (GB) Wednesday, Nov 2 2022 Documentary Festival Folkestone, (GB) Saturday, Oct 22 2022 Ecole nationale supérieure d'arts - ENSAPC Paris, (FR) Wednesday, Oct 19 2022 Casa de Mexico Madrid, (ES) Saturday, Oct 8 2022 Compartimento Cinematográfico Guanajuato, (MX) Tuesday, Sep 20 2022 Teatro Javier Barros Sierra Mexico, (MX) Tuesday, Sep 20 2022 Cinemateca Bogotá, (CO) Sep 14–Sep 16 2022 Casa de Cultura Tijuana, (MX) Tuesday, Sep 13 2022 Open City Documentary Festival London, (GB) Sunday, Sep 11 2022 Les Rencontres Internationales - Haus der Kulturen der Welt Berlin, (DE) Saturday, Aug 20 2022 Les Rencontres Internationales Berlin, (DE) Saturday, Aug 20 2022 Clasco Mexico, (MX) Thursday, Jun 9 2022 Rencontres Internationales Paris, (FR) Wednesday, May 4 2022 Ficunam Mexico, (MX) Saturday, Mar 19 2022 Festival International du Film sur l'Art Montreal, (CA) Mar 15–Mar 27 2022 Ficunam Mexico, (MX) Monday, Mar 14 2022 Festival International de Films de Femmes Créteil, (FR) Mar 13–Mar 15 2022 Ficunam Mexico, (MX) Saturday, Mar 12 2022 City Film Festival Luxembourg, (LU) Wednesday, Mar 9 2022 Shedhalle Zurich, (CH) Mar 4–May 1 2022 Amant New York, (US) Feb 25–Feb 26 2022 Kunsterneshus Kino Oslo, (NO) Sunday, Feb 20 2022 Kunsternes Hus Kino Oslo, (NO) Wednesday, Feb 16 2022 Amant New York, (US) Feb 5–Apr 24 2022 National Academy of the Arts Oslo, (NO) Tuesday, Jan 25 2022 Film Festival Torino, (IT) Sunday, Nov 28 2021 Zinebi Bilbao, (ES) Wednesday, Nov 17 2021 Le Fresnoy Tourcoing, (FR) Monday, Oct 18 2021 Netwerk Aalst, (BE) Thursday, Sep 30 2021 Le Fresnoy Tourcoing, (FR) Sep 24–Dec 31 2021 Netwerk Aalst, (BE) Sep 11–Dec 19 2021 Fotogalleriet Oslo, (NO) Sep 3–Oct 17 2021