As a Nicaraguan international student I can tell you that you can find the most interesting, iconic and amazing stories in every corner of my beloved country. Here are some films and documentaries that will give you a better example of what I'm talking about:
La Yuma (2009)
This is the story of Yuma, a strong-willed and rebellious girl from the poor neighborhoods of Managua who dreams of being a boxer.
The film was selected as the Nicaraguan entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards, but did not make the final shortlist.
La Parka (2013)
Even though this documentary was filmed in Mexico, its director, Gabriel Serra, is the first nicaraguan filmmaker who was nominated to an Oscar in the Category of Best Documentary, Short Subject.
"When I studied in Mexico I started to think about meat consumption. I used to see taco places everywhere and I always wondered: 'where does this all meat come from?' I used to picture 25 million cows being eaten by 25 million people," says Serra.
Nowadays Serra is currently working in Wal - Ter, another documentary about Alejandro Mejía, an iconic hevy metal musician from Nicaragua who lives with Tourette's syndrome.
Managua Furiosa, La Serie (2017)
MF, La Serie, explores contemporary issues relevant to lives of Nicaraguan society. Its first ever web series created by a group of young artists, actors, and cultural promoters behind the web portal Managua Furiosa.
All 10 episodes are 5-7 minutes long and it's about the stories of 3 young Nicaraguans living in the city while dealing with sexual abuse, chauvinism and other social issues.
Lubaraun (2014)
" It's an ethnographic documentary that tells the story of the Garifuna people, the only black community that was never enslaved," says Martha Clarissa, co-director of the film.
Lubaraun is a Garifuna word that means "to meet with", it was filmed in the Caribbean border line between Nicaragua and Honduras.
El Canto de Bosawas (2014)
The film is about young Nicaraguan musician Matute and two companions travel into natural reserve BOSAWAS looking to record Indigenous Mayangna music, but find another way to view the world.
That is how in their search for iconic music from the Mayangna, they found a different way of life instead that changed their perspective of their own lives.
La Pantalla Desnuda (2014)
All over the world, love stories are written on the screens of mobile phones, but what happens when your privacy becomes public? La Pantalla Desnuda or The Naked Screen explores what the way security breach can damage reputations when it comes to releasing private information.
An obsessive friend uses technology, and social networks as a weapon to destroy a love story that stands between him and his friend.
RuteadoS (2013)
Ruteados was filmed by two friends who like to film stories as a hobby. In the 40 min short film they tell 5 stories through a bus journey where several characters share time and space. Each bus stop takes us to one of the stories that this characters hide, showing us specific moments in their everyday lives.
"That's how Cierto Guis was born, our film production company, because we wanted to try and see if this type of short films are possible in Nicaragua. Nowadays when I take a look at it, despite of all the script mistakes and technical failures I notice, I enjoy watching it because I feel it's an honest perspective of the city, without too much paraphernalia or pretensions of getting famous because of that. It's a clear example of the motivation to do something just because you enjoy it and that's it," says Alvaro Cantillano, co-director.
