HAVANA: Brazilian tragicomedy "Me, You,Them" (Yo, tu, ellos), a film about a woman living with three husbands at the same time, took the main prize on Friday at the prestigious annual Havana film festival. Director Andrucha Waddington's film about a woman in adesolate town in northeast Brazil was lauded by the festival jury, chaired by Chilean writer Ariel Dorfman, for its "exceptional mastery and beauty." "Life is Like That" (Asi es la vida) by Mexican directorArturo Ripstein also received a special mention in the first prize category at the 22nd Festival of New Latin American Cinema, a highlight of Latin America's cultural calendar. The second main prize, or "Coral" as festival organizers calltheir awards, was taken by an Argentine-Spanish melodrama "Nuts for Love" (Nueces para el amor), directed by Argentina's Alberto Lecchi. It tells the story of a frustrated love-affair against the tense political backdrop of Argentina's Dirty War. The prize for best female actress was shared by Brazil'sRegina Case, for the "dignity and simplicity" of her role in "Me, You, Them" and Spain's Ariadna Gil for the "sobriety and maturity" of her part in "Nuts for Love." The third "Coral" went to Argentine film "Waiting for theMessiah" (Esperando al Mesias) by Daniel Burman "for its ability to interweave stories relating to the search for multiple identity." The jury also awarded a special prize to director Ripstein for"continuing to discover and propose new forms of cinematographic expression" in "Life is Like That," an adaptation of the Greek tragedy Medea set in Mexico. MECCA OF Latin American CINEMA Gianfranco Brero in Peru's "Red Ink" (Tinta roja) and JulioJung in Chile's "Coronation" (Coronacion) shared the prize for best male actor. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Mexican story "Dog Loves"(Amores perros) took an award for best first film "for a strong and complex first work which makes an impact with its hyper- realist vision of an urban world almost without escape," the jury said. The prizes were awarded on Friday afternoon at the end of the10-day festival which, like those of previous years, has turned Cuba's run-down but picturesque capital into a mecca of Latin American cinema. According to organizers, more than 300,000 people - mainlylocals - have packed cinemas in Havana and around the Caribbean island to watch films on offer not only from around Latin America, but also from Europe, Canada, and U.S. Independent filmmakers. Besides offering prizes and an opportunity to debut new works,the festival provides a rare opportunity for Cuba's traditionally film-loving public to enjoy foreign works the island is often too poor to import. "The Cuban public's reception is really exceptional. Hundredsof thousands of spectators virtually assault the cinema halls, eager to see what has been produced during the year," said festival director Alfredo Guevara, a close friend of Cuban President Fidel Castro. Latin American cinema has traditionally been criticized aselitist and has not made great inroads into world cinema markets, although numerous U.S. And other foreign film industry figures normally attend the Havana festival.
