In Focus: Alexandra Cuesta

The 2022 festival celebrated the work of women filmmakers with two “In Focus” programmes, both were the first in-depth surveys of the artists’ work in the UK. “In Focus: Alexandra Cuesta” consisted of three screenings, bringing together all of her completed films with films by others selected by Cuesta, with an emphasis on recent productions by Ecuadorian filmmakers and artists. The programme included the European premiere of her most recent work Lungta (2022) and was made possible by a grant from the Instituto de Fomento a la Creatividad y la Innovación (Gobierno de la República de Ecuador). Alexandra Cuesta was present for each screening and also gave a Masterclass in which she spoke about her process and practice in documentary filmmaking. Above all, Cuesta’s filmography celebrates the joy of creating. Throughout her retrospective, the filmmaker repeated the phrase “we learn by making,” a concept that acknowledges the way spontaneity and intersubjectivity can guide the creation of a film.

(Andrew Northrop, Senses of Cinema)