Norita is an Official Selection of the 2024 Austin Film Festival. This feature length documentary film was directed by Jayson McNamara and Andrea Carbonatto Tortonese and produced by Melissa Daniels.
It is about one woman’s tragedy becoming a catalyst for the acceleration of change in a struggle against dictatorship. What we learn about the country and the government is harrowing, and the different people interviewed all provide testimonies about their experiences that are not always easy to listen to. For example, they talk about how activists speaking against the government just disappeared and their mothers turned to activism to find their sons. It’s difficult not to get emotional when you listen to how they describe dealing with this problem.
This film is put together really well. The interviews are well shot and have a very high production value. I found the accompanying score to subtly compliment the emotional cues in the storytelling. This documentary seamlessly combines archival news footage and interviews with the people involved in a captivating manner. There are also small segments of the film that are 2D animated, and they’re lovely, really bringing you into the story shared by this documentary.
I like the message this film gives: that you must strive for change and one day you may finally achieve it. I think that Norita’s story was worth hearing and I’m glad that my first time learning about how she came into activism was presented in gripping and beautifully executed documentary.
Norita screened on October 24 and will screen again at the Hideout on October 28 at 7:30 PM. This is a beautiful and important documentary that is well worth watching for anyone who deeply loves their family. We hope you are able to watch it!
Madelyn, Filmmaker Mixer Correspondent
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