Araya
Directed by Margot Benacerraf
Release Year: 1959
Running time: 90
Country:
Venezuela
Language:
Spanish w/ English Subtitles
Genres:
Documentary, History
Subjects:
Directed by:
Margot Benacerraf
The Venezuelan peninsula of Araya is one of the dryest places on earth, exploited for over five hundred years due to its abundant salt mines. Director Margot Benacerraf captures the life of the salineros through breathtaking imagery, underlining the harsh life of this region — all of which vanished with the arrival of industrialization. This restoration of Benacerraf's brilliant film is a landmark in cinema history, hailed as a masterpiece of poetic filmmaking and a forerunner of feminist Latina artwork.