GUENNY PIRES
Director’s Short Bio
Guenny K. Pires, filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California, US was born in the Island of Fogo, Cape Verde Islands, West Coast of Africa. He is a pioneer in film making from his native country Cape Verde Islands, West Coast of Africa. He is a multi award-winning filmmaker dedicated to bringing the history and culture of his native Cape Verde to the world’s attention.
Director Guenny Pires has dedicated the last 14 years of his life to his vision of providing a bridge to and an understanding of these often overlooked Creole cultures. Txan Film Productions & Visual Arts, Inc. is committed to help Guenny achieve his dream. His films have already shown great promise at several film festivals around the world and we are confident that with our assistance and your financial support that the multi-cultural history and culturally significant documentation of “his people” will be a treasure for generations to come.
Independent filmmaker Mr. Pires explores overlooked aspects of the African Diaspora in his docudrama, “CONTRACT,” filmed in the Cape Verde Islands, São Tomé & Príncipe, and in the United States. The film is in Cape Verde Creole, Portuguese, and with English subtitles and narrative.
“CONTRACT,” tells the compelling story of two African countries (Cape Verde and São Tomé and Principe) forever linked by a history of poverty and slavery, and two people forever linked by the unbreakable bonds of family and love…in Contract.
“With this film I wanted to try to understand how my people is living in Sao Tome and Principe today. The film documents my journey to reunite my uncle with his family 44 years later. As many others he had a big dream but his life conditions end up worse than slavery, living with less than .50 cents per day,” said Mr. Pires.”
His first feature film, “The Journey of Cape Verde”, was an international landmark project that made a wide audience aware of the fascinating archipelago nation for the first time.
“The Journey of Cape Verde” won awards and left an important imprint at events such as the Pan African Film & Arts Festival, Lusophone Film Festival, Images 2005, Moondance Film Festival, Athens International Film Video Festival, Madeira Biennial, just to name a few. During the Pan African Film Festival, this documentary became the first Cape Verdean film with two screenings in Hollywood.
Guenny’s films have positively contributed to many other African nations and Cape Verdeans teaching them about their past history. Guenny’s projects including film work with Avram Noam Chomsky, an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and political activist. He is an Institute Professor and professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The aim of Guenny Pires is to explore aspects of African Diaspora history and culture that are not widely known or are normally overlooked by mainstream popular and scholarly discourse. Guenny’s films work progressively to explore not only what it is to be Cape Verdean but also what it is to be human.
AWARDS:
Director/Cinematographer/Editor
“CONTRACT” (Feature Docudrama Film 79mn);
Audience Favorite Documentary Award, 2010 Pan African Film Festival;
Award For Best Documentary Filmmaking, 2010 Roxbury International Film Festival;
“GENOCIDE IN SRI LANKA” (Short Documentary 13m).
The Best Short Documentary 2009 Atlanta Film Festival;
“THE JOURNEY OF CAPE VERDE” (Feature Documentary 83m.)
Diploma of Merit 2005 Pan African Film & Arts Festival;
Award Favorite Audience 2005 Athens International Film Video Festival;
Award Best Cape Verdean Movie 2005 Imargens Film Festival.
