• 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

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 allows us the rare opportunity to get a glimpse of life in this Central American country where gender and class inequality are an everyday challenge.

LA YUMA IS ONE OF THE MANY FILMS INCLUDED IN THE CATALOGUE OF SPANISH FILM CLUB. SFC AFFILIATED UNIVERSITIES CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A SPECIAL PRICE OF $99 IF THE TITLE HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THEIR SFC FESTIVAL. PLEASE CONTACT SFC STAFF AT FILMCLUB@PRAGDA.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

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

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

About the Director
From 1979 to 1989 Florence Jaugey worked as an actress in France where she acted in more than ten roles in television and film. In 1984 she starred in the movie The President by Cuban director Manuel Octavio Gómez, filmed in Nicaragua. In 1990, along with the Frank Pineda, she founded Camila Films, based in Nicaragua. In 1993, she moved to Mexico, where she teaches at the National Film School (CCC) and in the school of theater Ludwig Margules. In 1995 she returned to Nicaragua to work in the production and casting of Ken Loach’s film Carla’s Song. In 1998 she won the Silver Bear at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival with her short film Cinema Alcázar and in 2001 she was awarded the prize of the Society of Authors in the International Documentary Festival “Cinema du Reel” at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, France. Jaugey’s debut feature, La Yuma (2010), won 16 international awards and was selected to represent Nicaragua at the Oscars 2011.
Notes on 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.