Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Current authors to look for include poet and novelist Giovanna Benedetti, historical
novelist Gloria Guardia and folk novelist Rosa María Britton.
Panama in Film
Though Panama has served as the backdrop for several Hollywood films (namely The
Tailor of Panama and Quantum of Solace ), the country is just beginning to produce its
own commercial features. The first released in Panama was 2009's Chance, a tropical
comedy about class shenanigans told through the adventures of two maids and the upper-
class family they work for.
Burwa dii Ebo (The Wind and the Water) was an official Sundance Film Festival se-
lection in 2008. A narrative drama with social undercurrents, the story follows an indi-
genous Kuna teenager who moves to Panama City from the Caribbean islands of his
homeland. The movie has yet to be commercially distributed but has already won awards
in Toronto and Chile.
The 1992 documentary, The Panama Deception , recounts the events that led up to the
US removal of Noriega, including his previous collaboration with the CIA. Seeing this
movie is a must to understand the complications and nuances of US-Panama relations.
Also worthwhile, Curundú is a 2011 documentary by Ana Endara Mislov which shows
the artistic vision of a charming photographer hoodlum trying to chronicle neighborhood
life in this tough Panama City slum.
Pending release in 2013, Hands of Stone is a much-anticipated biopic about boxer
Roberto Durán, starring Gael García Bernal and Robert De Niro. Much of the film was
shot in Panama.
Inauguración de La Fe (Inauguration of La Fe), by Consuelo Tomás, is a collection of
tales depicting the idiosyncrasies of the popular neighborhoods of Panama City.
Made by Hand
Panama's indigenous groups still produce high-quality woodcarvings, textiles, ceramics,
masks and other handicrafts. The Latin folk tradition from the Penínusula de Azuero (
polleras , masks and leather sandals) is also worth noting.
Panama's handicrafts are varied and often of excellent quality. The Wounaan and Em-
berá people in the Darién create carvings of jungle wildlife from cocobolo, a handsome
tropical hardwood, and tiny figurines from the ivory-colored tagua nut.
However, the Emberá and Wounaan are most renowned for producing beautiful woven
baskets of incredibly high quality. There are two types: the utilitarian and the decorative.
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search