::: MARIA NOVARO :::

POSITIONING THE MARGINALISED

“I love to play with clichés. However you have to take them on,

break them, spin them around, take pleasure in them.”

Maria Novaro, a director from Mexico belongs to the

group of Mexican filmmakers who emerged in the 1980s,

and carried the influence of

Colectivo Cine-Mujer

(Women

Film Collective). The strong directorial voice, the narrative

style, and the themes she handles are a legacy of this

experience. Born in Mexico in 1951, Maria studied

Sociology and film production before she began her

film career with Mexican filmmaker, Alberto Cortas.

The rise of women filmmakers like Maria Novaro was

possible because film unions which dictated terms and

had sexist regulations were disbanded in the late 70s.

These changing dynamics facilitated the rise of the

current generation of Mexican film directors, of which

one third is female. Her  Short Film

Una Isla Rodeada de

Agua

(1985), gave an indication of her thematic concerns

and the womanist presence in her productions.