Mercedes Sosa: The Voice of Latin America (directed by Rodrigo H. Vila) chronicles the life and achievements of Mercedes Sosa, an Argentinian singer whose funeral in 2009 provoked a mass outpouring of grief that included the declaration of three days of national mourning in Buenos Aires.

Sosa was born into a poor family at a time of a corrupt and repressive dictatorship, and the beauty of her voice combined with the strength of her relentless protest again injustice led her to become the voice of the poor, downtrodden and politically oppressed throughout Latin America. This documentary was initiated by her only son, Fabian Matus, who conducts many of the interviews with surviving friends and colleagues. The rest is footage, moving and still, of the singer and her performances, her political exile to Paris in the 1970s, and her return to her homeland. As Mercedes Sosa describes herself in the film, “…[I’m] not just a singer trying to sell an album, but a singer of the people”.

The beginning credits include a long list of awards from other festivals and it seems likely that VIFF will add one more.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJTCxR2BImE

SCREENINGS:

Sunday Sept 28, 2 pm VCT

Monday Sept 29, 7 pm RIO

Buy tickets here.