La Yuma

Florence Jaugey / Mexico, Nicaragua, Spain / 2011 / 91 min
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  • Academy Award®

    NIcaragua's submission for Best Foreign Language Film

  • South American Film Encounters Marseille

    Best Actress

  • San Francisco Film Festival

    Audience Award

  • Austria Latino Film Festival

    Audience Award

  • Granado Film Festival Brasil

    Jury Prize, Best Actress

  • Guatemala Icaro Film Festival

    Best Actress

  • Miami International Film Festival

  • Los Angeles Latino Film Festival

  • Montreal World Cinema Film Festival

Spanish Film Club
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Spanish with English subtitles

With Alma Blanco

Synopsis

Nicaragua’s first full-length feature in 20 years, La Yuma tells the story of a young woman who dreams of transcending her bleak life in the slums of Managua by becoming a boxer. Looking beyond the meager possibilities that seem available to her (and ignoring the advice of her gang-member friends), she finds solace and hope in her training and falls in love with a middle-class journalism student. With an extraordinary performance by Alma Blanco as Yuma, the strength, astuteness, and determination of the main character reflect the feelings of a population that faces adversity and inequality.

Jaugey’s film provides a rare opportunity to get a glimpse into life in this Central American country, where gender and class inequality are an everyday challenge.

WHAT SFC AFFILIATED UNIVERSITIES ARE SAYING

“This movie encouraged reflection and critical discussion. Particularly, the movie drew people’s attention to street crime, harassment, poverty, and gender inequality in Managua’s slums. The audience was fascinated by topics such as the movie’s production cost compared to a Hollywood super-production and the participation of non-professional or untrained actors. Furthermore, machismo behavior was discussed, and the audience analyzed differences between professional women boxers in the US and female boxers in the Nicaraguan context.” – Mónica Rodríguez, Assistant Professor of Spanish and Translation Studies, UNC Charlotte

About the Director
Florence Jaugey is a French movie director, actress, producer, and screenwriter residing in Nicaragua. She was working as an actress in the 1980s when she traveled to Nicaragua to be the lead in the movie El Señor Presidente, directed by the Cuban director Manuel Octavio Gómez.

La Yuma - Florence Jaugey

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In 1989, together with her partner, Nicaraguan filmmaker Frank Pineda, she started an independent film company, directing and producing several short and documentary films. Since then, Jaugey’s filmmaking has focused on the poverty-stricken people of Nicaragua. Her short film Cinema Alcázar (1998), about the people who live in the ruins of an earthquake-destroyed movie house located in the center of Managua, won a Silver Bear at the Berlinale. Filmed in jail, The Island of the Lost Children (2001) won the Society of Authors Award at the International Documentary Festival Cinéma du Réel. The documentary Deceit (2012) portrays the lives of seven women who survived human trafficking.

Jaugey had her narrative feature film debut with La Yuma (2010). The film won 16 international awards and was selected as the Nicaraguan entry to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. La Yuma was the first full-length feature film shot in 20 years in Nicaragua. In 2014, she directed a second feature film, The Naked Screen.

Press

“To say that La Yuma is an engaging story with a wonderful treatment from all involved is no understatement. Do not get the idea for a moment that this is a "female Rocky" picture. No one gets beaten to a bloody pulp, and there are no miraculous resurrections. But it is real; it is at times gritty, and it certainly has heart. I was sorry to see it end, and can easily imagine it as a discussion starter in a women's studies course, or filmmaking course, besides being just a memorably entertaining experience. Highly Recommended. ” – Elena Landry, George Mason Libraries, EMRO

“Blanco’s exceptional lead performance” – MIAMI NEW TIMES

“The actress Alma Blanco, in particular, is perfect” – Eric Libiot, L’EXPRESS

“Blanco’s passionate portrayal of Yuma make this somewhat familiar “female Rocky” fresh and appealing.” – MoMA

“She often evokes Fellini’s early-sixties neorealist work, Nights of Cabiria in particular.” – Rubén Rosario, SUN POST WEEKLY

“La Yuma is an excellent film.” – CINE INVISIBLE

“There are many Yumas and Yumos in the country, strong young men wanting to go out of scope of violence, not knowing what to do. In the movie there are ideas on how to do it. And do it with dignity. La Yuma did.” – CONFIDENCIAL DIGITAL

“This movie encouraged reflection and critical discussion. Particularly, the movie drew people’s attention to street crime, harassment, poverty, and gender inequality in Managua’s slums. The audience was fascinated by topics such as the movie’s production cost compared to a Hollywood super-production and the participation of non-professional or untrained actors. Furthermore, machismo behavior was discussed and the audience analyzed differences between professional women boxers in the US and female boxers in the Nicaraguan context.” – Mónica Rodríguez, Assistant Professor of Spanish and Translation Studies, UNC Charlotte

Notes on the Film

Nicaragua’s first full-length feature in 20 years, La Yuma tells the story of a young woman who dreams of transcending her bleak life in the slums of Managua by becoming a boxer. Looking beyond the meager possibilities available to her (and ignoring the advice of her gang-member friends), she finds solace and hope in her training and falls in love with a middle-class journalism student.

In Jaugey’s words, “the strength, the astuteness and determination of the main character, reflect the feelings of a population that faces adversity and inequality.” With an extraordinary performance by Alma Blanco as Yuma, Jaugey’s film allows us the rare opportunity to get a glimpse of everyday life in this Central American country.

Pre-selection for the Oscars® Academy Awards 2011 for Best Foreign Film.

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