On my last day at Hot Docs this past May, I had the pleasure of seeing Carlota Nelson‘s ‘Eyes of the Soul: Cristina García Rodero’ (La Mirada Oculta). The film follows the life and work of world-renowned photographer Cristina García Rodero.
At 73 years old, García Rodero continues her long career documenting how life, love, beauty and death are celebrated in the world. Throughout the film, I found myself in awe of her stamina, her determination and her joy in the work she does alongside the people she meets.
For several decades, García Rodero has been an icon in the world of photography. With exhibitions, collections on display, and a museum dedicated entirely to her work, García Rodero’s legacy is well established.
In La Mirada Oculta, we learn about García Rodero’s pivotal book España Oculta, which was the reason she became a photographer in the first place. At a young age, she set on to document the various fiestas (celebrations) across all regions of Spain. The result was this ‘essential’ photo book about Spain.
The film takes us on road trips across Spain and India’s during the Holi festival. The film is an extension of García Rodero’s work in a way. Nelson and team put together a film rich in visuals – complemented beautifully by an excellent score – with narration by García Rodero herself, who shares with us insights about her work ethic, her wishes for humanity and herself.
La Mirada Oculta is truly a sensorial experience. It is also a testament of a life well lived by García Rodero, on her own terms. A life filled with fiestas, stories and friends made along the way.
To share more about the film, I share my conversation with Carlota where we talked about her meeting García Rodero for the first tiem, their years of friendship, and how this led to the making of this film.
The soundtrack for the film is available for free on Spotify and Apple Music. I highly recommend it.
Credits
Director: Carlota Nelson
Producers: José María Morales & Miguel Morales
Executive Producers: José María Morales & Miguel Morales
Writer: Carlota Nelson
Editor: Clara Martinez Malagelada
Cinematography: Juan González
Composer: Victoria de la Vega
Sound: Juan Ferro
