The Miami Herald. Miami, Florida – November 9th, 2006
“Quiero Volver”
One-way ticket nostalgia.
(…)
Andrea sets Paolo as an example, Magaly’s best friend who is gay, who’s testimony appears in the first minutes of the documentary and moments before the trip, decides not to go “because he didn’t feel ready to deal with the rejection of Lima’s chauvinist society, where he wouldn’t fit in”
Today, Paolo lives in New York, and will soon be Franco’s main character in her second film, which is still in post-production, A preview will be shown at tonight’s screening ”
El Comercio Newspaper. August 12th, 2005
When you think about returning…
“Everybody goes back to the land where they were born”, are the lyrics to a well known song that reflect young Peruvian director Andrea Franco’s documentary, “Quiero Volver” which won the audience award for Best Documentary at the New York International Independent Film and video Festival 2004.
The work, exhibited with great success at the 9th Latin American Film Encounter, is, as the filmmaker states, “a dedication to not only the immigrants of my country, but of anywhere in the world. Any person who emigrates will feel identified, since it’s about those you leave, but wish to come back to their land.”
Andrea inherited from his grandfather Bernardo Batievsky (who along with Armando Robles Godoy directed the film “Mirage (Espejismo)” her passion for cinema, but to be able to embrace it she had to migrate to the United States in order to make her dreams come true, which seemed unattainable in our country. “I left Peru during hard times, during the electoral fraud. I wanted to do important things, so I applied to different universities abroad and finally got accepted at the University of Miami, Florida”, she states.
The award given to her at the international film festival has opened many other opportunities for her. Now she is dedicated to her second documentary, about the life of a homosexual in a very conservative society like Lima’s.
She currently resides in Miami where she works for Vh1 from MTV Networks Latin America. “I am working so I will stay here longer, but I know that most of the work I intend to do is bout Peru and maybe that will bring me back to my country.”
Del Pais Newspaper. August 21st, 2005
Everyone returns to their homeland...
“Andrea is working on her second documentary, about Maglaly’s best friend, Paolo, who is never free under the conservatism of his own country. The reason: being homosexual. Paolo will return to Peru and wishes to find reconciliation with a society where repression against homosexuals exists.”
• Platform Mag – June 12th, 2008 - Peruvian Filmmaker, Andrea Franco, talks about “Paolo” and inspiration.
Download Press Kit, Stills & Trailer - here
• CNN en Español - Ojo Critico - April 24th, 2009
• CineLGBT.com — April 26th, 2009 - Peruvian Documentary in Two Major Festivals
• La Habitación de Henry Spencer.com – May 3rd, 2009 - Peruvian Filmmaker, Andrea Franco’s “Paolo” at the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
• FeastofFun.com — April 30th, 2009 - The Pop Princess and the Peruvian Player
(Interview with director Andrea Franco, starts at 40:00)
“ The account of Paolo’s journey, is rich with humor and bold honsety. It was a delight to watch.” Read More »
– Monica Hill, Atlanta Unique Arts Examiner
“Beautifully shot and edited, with a wonderful indie-pop soundtrack, Paolo is an emotional ride through the seemingly ordinary life of a man in search of answers.”
– Kareem Tabsch, Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
This was the most touching film of the festival, just unforgettable.
– Zoila, VideosZC