Freedom is a Big Word

(La Libertad es una Palabra Grande)

Guillermo Rocamora / Uruguay / 2019 / 72 min
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  • IDFA International Documentary Film Festival

  • Miradas Doc International Film Festival

  • Sevilla International Film Festival

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Spanish with English subtitles

Guantanamo, then what? After 13 years, Mohammed, a 38-year-old Palestinian, is released from the notorious detention camp, where he was starved, tortured, and humiliated. Under this regime, he was given a choice: to stay in Guantanamo or start a new life in Uruguay, the only country that opened its doors to the detainee. There, he would get a home and welfare money for two years, then he would be on his own. Mohammed has a second chance to start a new life of freedom in an unknown place. But “freedom” is a big word with a very complex meaning.

About the Director

Guillermo Rocamora was born in Uruguay in 1981. He studied Media Studies at Uruguay’s Republic University, and Screenwriting at the International Film and TV School in Cuba. He also participated in the literary workshop of author Mario Levrero. In 2004, he wrote and directed his first fiction short film, Connections, and in 2007 he co-wrote and directed with Javier Palleiro the short film Good Trip (Official Selection Cannes 2008).

Guillermo is the co-writer and director of the feature-length film Solo, premiered in the 30th Miami International Film Festival in 2013 (Best Opera Prima). In 2013, he wrote and directed the documentary The Essence of Carolina Herrera de Baez for the Discovery Channel. In 2014, he directed a documentary series about Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar for Fusion TV (USA). He is the director of the documentary Freedom is a Big Word, selected for the IDFA 2018. He is currently working on the financing of his next fiction work Temas propios.

Notes on Film

“He studies Spanish, learns to drive, prays, takes courses, gets in touch with his Palestinian family, and together with his Uruguayan wife, faces the challenge of his new life. He’s resigned as he grapples with the local bureaucracy, but his eyes speak volumes. At well-timed moments, we hear him talking in voice-over about his traumatic experiences in Guantanamo. Most of all, we see him looking for work, but who will take him on? Freedom is a Big Word shows how goodwill can descend into a sense of impotence in this confrontation with reality.”

– Guillermo Rocamora, director

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