February 20, 2017 To Whom It May Concern: On behalf of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), an institution that I honored to preside, we extend our endorsement to the project and film Curfew written by the Peruvian journalist Rodolfo Pereira. After studying the narrative line, we learned Curfew is a fictional film inspired by some real events that occurred in the 1980s in Peru, when Shining Path, the terrorist organization, declared war on the Peruvian state. An estimated 70,000 Peruvians were killed in that conflict, among them, 70 journalists. The narrative line of the film is a story of journalists interested in discovering the truth, even at the cost of their own lives. The IAPA believes that the realization of this film can reflect on the role of the independent press in confronting terrorism and other forms of violence. We reiterate our wishes for the early production and exhibition of the film project Curfew. Sincerely,
Matt Sanders, President IAPA
Lima, February 1st, 2017 Mr. Rodolfo Pereira Washington DC Dear Rodolfo: We were surprised to learn of your award - winning film project Curfew, which recently won the prize awarded annually by the Ministry of Culture. I call it a surprise because your screenplay brings to light an unfortunate moment in the history of our country that seems to be very distant and forgotten. To the Association of Journalists of Peru that I am honored to represent, and for the Peruvian journalism in general, the years of terrorism we lived meant not only facing daily news that life had no value --but firsthand experience of the inherent risks associated with news coverage. The murder of our eight reporters on March 26, 1983 in Ayacucho, Uchuraccay while seeking uncover the truth is an open wound that will not heal—but to forget is far worse. After more than three decades since this tragedy occurred, recent generations have forgotten the reasons why Peru was then bled to death. Moreover, the assassination of these colleagues, the largest number of journalists in world history while covering the Peruvian internal conflict, are part of a total of 17 journalists dead in the Ayacucho region and 70 deaths throughout Peru during those terrible years. Who better than a journalist such as yourself – of renowned prestige both within our country and outside of it - to carry out this project that portrays a time of convulsion and crossfire among Peruvians. For those reasons, I offer you our institutional support for the purposes that it deems convenient. We are confident that this feature film will not only allow our compatriots not to forget events that should never be repeated, but also convey to the world what insane and demented terrorist ideologies can achieve when the public is not well informed and the responsibility that the media must assume. Hoping that our institutional sponsorship will also contribute to your film project, I reiterate to you my personal feelings and esteem.
February 7, 2017 To Whom It May Concern: I’m Cynthia McClintock, the Chair of the Board of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), and I am writing in the hope that Rodolfo Pereira’s riveting film project, Curfew, will receive the support that it needs to become a feature film widely distributed in the U.S. and Latin America. I have known Rodolfo Pereira for many years; he is deeply committed to social justice and is one of the most thoughtful, creative, and responsible people I have ever met. The film project has already won the first prize in the National Feature Films Contest organized by Peru’s Ministry of Culture and has already been endorsed by the National Association of Journalists of Peru (Peru’s largest press organization). In addition, Mr. Pereira has already contacted two bilingual actors with Peruvian roots to be the film’s leading actors. Curfew is set in Peru in the 1980s and includes breathtaking cinematography of the Andes and its peoples. The themes are dark, but necessary and important. The film shows how Peru was torn apart by the violent confrontations among the Shining Path, the army, and clandestine armed groups. It dramatizes the suffering inflicted by terrorism on the most vulnerable sectors of the population—in this case, Peru’s indigenous peasants, but potentially in any country of the world. The film also highlights the obstacles to independent journalism that are posed during these violent conflicts. The plot is dramatic and will have audiences at the edges of their seats. Two international journalists travel through the mountains and jungles of Peru in search of two Peruvian colleagues who have gone missing while reporting a massacre in a highlands town. The two international journalists find the truth— but when they try to broadcast it, they encounter powerful criminal networks. I am delighted to give this film project my highest endorsement. Soon, I will let the WOLA Executive Committee know about the project and I expect to secure
its endorsement as well. The Board itself does not meet until April but I hope action will be taken there, too. Again, I very much hope that Curfew will receive the support that it needs to bring these tragic but essential truths to the widest possible audience. Sincerely,
Cynthia McClintock Chair, Board of Directors, Washington Office on Latin America Professor, Dept. of Political Science, George Washington University
February 15, 2017 To Whom It May Concern: My name is Larry Birns, and I am the Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA). I am writing on behalf of this organization to express our endorsement for the latest project by Rodolfo Pereira, Curfew, which takes a hard look at the internal conflict experienced by Peru in the 1980s, and the many sections of the population negatively impacted by neighboring violence. To date, Curfew has already been widely celebrated by those who have seen it. Not least of all, it has been awarded the highest honor at the National Feature Films Contest organized by Peru’s Ministry of Culture. Moreover, Pereira’s commitment to telling this tale in a multilingual fashion reinforces the project’s aim to shed light on one of the darkest periods of the country’s history and to ensure that the victim’s stories are heard on their own terms. Since its establishment, the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) has been deeply concerned with the question of human rights in Latin America and ensuring that the most vulnerable populations remain protected. It is for this reason that COHA expresses no reservation in endorsing this project, and we are excited to see the impact it will have on how the region engages with this dark period of Peruvian history. We strongly support the film, Curfew, and eagerly await its release. Sincerely,
Larry Birns Director, Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA)