Paraguay celebrates national cinema day with free YouTube films

Paraguay marks its national Cinema and Audiovisual Day on July 5, an occasion established by the 2018 law "On the promotion of Paraguayan audiovisual." The day aims to shine a spotlight on the country's film industry, though challenges in distributing and making films accessible to the public persist.

In response to these distribution hurdles, some Paraguayan filmmakers have chosen to share their work directly on YouTube. This initiative allows audiences to access a selection of national cinema legally and without cost through the popular video platform.

The article highlights five such films. "La afinación del diablo" (2018) by Juan Carlos Lucas blends documentary and fiction to explore the origins of a unique guitar playing technique. "Latas vacías" (2013), directed by Herib Godoy, tells the story of Alfonso, a treasure hunter who becomes a scavenger in Coronel Oviedo after facing tragedy. Ermes Medina Valiente's "Che Pykasumi, la película" (2011) recreates a love story that inspired a well-known poem, set in Yaguarón. Jeremías Espínola's "La cárcel del barrio" (2016) is a 2005-set drama about searching for a grandfather disappeared during the 1980s dictatorship. Finally, Gustavo Delgado's thriller "Fin de la línea" (2013) is based on real events, following police who infiltrate a criminal network using Paraguay as a transit country.