Maria Novaro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids María Novaro
Born	María Luisa Novaro Peñaloza (1951-09-11)11 September 1951 Mexico City
Education	Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico
Occupation	Film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor

María Novaro (born September 11, 1951) is a famous Mexican film director. She was one of the first women to graduate from a film school in Mexico. Over her career, she has made five major feature films and many short films.

Novaro has worked in many roles in the film industry, including as a cinematographer (camera expert), sound mixer, screenwriter, and editor. She is a key figure in the movie movement known as New Mexican Cinema. Her films often tell stories from a woman's point of view.

Education and Early Start

María Novaro first studied sociology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Soon, she became interested in making movies and decided to study film at a special school within the university.

In 1981, she made her first short films using a Super 8 camera. She also joined a group called the Cine Mujer collective. This was a group of women filmmakers who wanted to tell stories about women's lives and create more opportunities for women in the Mexican film industry.

Career in Filmmaking

María Novaro began her career as a cinematographer and sound mixer. After working as an assistant director on a film in 1985, she was inspired to direct her own short film, Una Isla Rodeada de Agua (An Island Surrounded by Water).

This short film tells the story of a young girl who travels to the coast to find the mother who left her. This theme of a female character on a journey through Mexico became a common feature in Novaro's later movies. Her next short film, Azul Celeste (Light Blue) from 1987, was about a pregnant woman searching for her baby's father in Mexico City. This story later grew into her first full-length movie, Lola.

Famous Feature Films

Lola (1989)

Novaro co-wrote Lola with her sister, Beatriz. The film is about a woman named Lola who feels lost and alone in Mexico City after her daughter's father leaves. She tries to find him while raising their child.

Novaro said that with Lola, she wanted to explore the experiences of women, motherhood, and life in a huge city like Mexico City.

Danzón (1991)

After the serious tone of Lola, Novaro wanted to make a lighter film. She and her sister wrote Danzón, which became her most famous international success. The movie is named after a traditional and elegant style of ballroom dance popular in Mexico.

The story follows Julia (played by María Rojo), a single mother in Mexico City whose main joy is dancing the danzón. When her dance partner, Carmelo, suddenly disappears, she travels to his hometown of Veracruz to find him. Her journey becomes one of self-discovery as she enjoys the lively culture of the port city.

El Jardín del Edén (1994)

El Jardín del Edén (The Garden of Eden) was filmed in Tijuana, near the border between Mexico and the United States. It tells several stories about people whose lives are connected by the border. The film was a co-production with France and Canada and won awards at film festivals.

Sin Dejar Huella (2000)

Sin Dejar Huella (Without a Trace) is a road movie about two very different women who travel together across Mexico, from Ciudad Juárez all the way to the Caribbean coast. The film won the award for Best Latin American Film at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.

Las Buenas Hierbas (2010)

Las Buenas Hierbas (The Good Herbs) explores the relationship between a mother and daughter. It also looks at themes of memory loss and ethnobotany (the study of how people use native plants for medicine). The film was a big success, winning eight awards at the Guadalajara Film Festival.

Tesoros (2017)

Tesoros (Treasures) is a film about a group of children on an adventure. Six-year-old Dylan and his new friends go on a hunt to find pirate treasure near their beautiful beach town in Guerrero, Mexico.

Novaro wanted to make a realistic children's film that showed the fantasy and fun of childhood. She also wanted to show a beautiful and positive side of Mexico.

Legacy and Influence

Novaro's films are known for their poetic style and focus on female characters. She often explores themes of motherhood, friendship between women, and journeys of self-discovery. She has said that her goal is to tell the stories of the "many Mexicos" that exist.

Since 1996, Novaro has also been a dedicated teacher, helping to train new generations of filmmakers in Mexico and the United States. In 2006, she co-founded a production company called Axolote Cine to help young filmmakers produce their movies.

For her work, she has received many honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that gives out the Oscar awards.

Awards and Nominations

Filmography

Feature Films

Short Films

See also

In Spanish: María Novaro para niños