If a teaching method on how to be a socially committed filmmaker had to be invented, it would be difficult to find anything better than Pamela Yates’ new film. As a young filmmaker Pamela travelled to Guatemala to make a documentary about a hidden war. The footage she shot for the 1982 film, 'When the Mountains Tremble', later served as evidence in front of a tribunal, in the trial of a dictator, charged with genocide.
Back then she could not yet recognize the true value and importance of her film rolls. 'Granito' reconsiders the events piece by piece, which, looking back at them from today’s perspective, need to be newly interpreted and evaluated. This reexamination of the role of the guerilla movement, the horrifying crimes committed against the native Maya, and their fight for justice does more than just restore collective memories. It constantly puts forward questions about the possible roles of each phase of documentary filmmaking, from the shooting to editing. The final product is similar to a grain of sand, which, together with all the other grains of sand (granite de arena), can change an entire landscape during a sandstorm.
2011 | USA | 103 min | Pamela Yates | www

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