Eva Sancho (The Netherlands)

Lima 2009

When I was little - and still lived in Spain - my grandmother took me to see my first movie. It was not a successful outing for her, I screamed so much we had to leave the cinema. This encounter may explain where I am now, studying Cinema and Philosophy, but I am not a psycho-analyst. I puzzle over the power of a darkened theatre a great deal of the time though.

I grew up in the Netherlands, where my family moved to. This is a cinephile country, strangely lacking a reputation for it. An amazing range of films is on offer here, every week has a film festival taking place somewhere. When I started university I found my Film Studies major loaded with students.

My desire to write about cinema is the result of also studying Philosophy, my second degree. I was lured into it by my fascination with the cinema itself. “The medium is more powerful than any of its instances.” A philosopher named Stanley Cavell wrote in ‘The World Viewed’ - a book that explores the nature of cinema in relation to human understanding. Cavell also thought me importance of writing on cinema. Putting a film experience to words not only shapes your own thoughts, it prompts the thoughts and words of others. The specificity of how we give voice to these opinions matters. Film exists in the reflections of viewers, but also in the conversation that surrounds it.

This is what makes me eager to write about cinema. To share my discoveries and research with others and to contribute to the community of film audiences. This workshop will be a tremendous way to learn about the many forms and aspects of writing. I could not be happier about it taking place at the Encounter of Latin American Cinema. My mother is from El Salvador and I am eager to know more of Latin American film culture. I hope to bring back some of this culture to Europe and contribute to the appreciation of Latin American films. Their ever increasing quality assures me there is an audience here for them.