Waking up at age 36 to find out she suddenly has invasive breast cancer. Ana Cristina Benitez Guerra (Quito, October 2, 1983) received this terrible diagnosis days before the covid-19 pandemic. And he had the overwhelming courage to document his entire experience with a video camera in hand.
The documentary entitled ‘Mama’ compiles Ana’s experience from the beginning of her illness in the first person, in an unprecedented global context due to the coronavirus in the world. Her first chemotherapy was performed in the first week of confinement, when chaos reigned in any health center.
World Diners Magazine He spoke via telematics with Ana, director of the documentary; and Gabriela Calvache, his producer.
Ana comes from the world of advertising production freelance and short films of a social nature. His life engine consists of selling products through the image or documenting to third parties. This time, his life gave a 180 degree turn and decided to use the camcorder on herself to reflect what she almost 8 out of 100 women in Quito suffer from cancer breast each year.
“This was a trigger to film these other bodies in front of the advertising world that sells you a type of body and especially at my age. It triggered me to register this, all the bodily changes that I was going to have, that I was going to lose my hair and knowing that I was going to lose it was tremendous, in addition to losing a breast.
In absolute solitude, without the support of his close relatives due to compulsory collective confinement, the documentary is put together as an audiovisual self-portrait very enlightening and emotional.
All the sensations and feelings are recorded at home, in her transfers, her parents’ house, the operation to remove her right breast, radiotherapy and other medical treatments in hospitals.
“I decide to film when my hair starts to fall out. My camera becomes my companion and support of this process. Today I can understand the phrase that she says ‘art heals’ because I have lived, felt and touched it. Art for me has been healing in this time”, says Ana.
This project won a contest for the line of economic promotion by the Institute for the Promotion of Creativity and Innovation.
A seven-member team supports executive production and the overall script, following the easing of biosecurity measures in 2021.
The documentary is currently in development, due to the treatments that Ana records in her daily life. Calvache details that the documentary could be ready by 2024, after completing all the recordings and post-production.
“A shoot when it’s intuitive and part of what you’re experiencing isn’t necessarily a movie. A movie needs the conceptualization of a script and that is the work we have done in development. Anita has experienced cancer while recording this and for a film to mature it needs time for the next stage”, adds Calvache.
The most important thing for Ana is that this documentary serves as a spiritual, sincere and real input; to accompany all women affected by breast cancer and their families. The long-term goal will be to take this documentary to international festivals and digital platforms.
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