The premiere of the new Venezuela solidarity film “Chasing Chavez” hit the big screen at the Schonell Cinema, University of Queensland, on February 29. About 70 people attended the launch of the hour-long documentary and applauded director Katrina Channells and co-producer and cinematographer Nik Lachajczak for their fine work.
“Chasing Chavez” recounts the story of Venezuela solidarity activist and Australian Socialist Alliance member Coral Wynter and her quest to present President Hugo Chavez with a copy of her co-authored book, Voices from Venezuela: Behind the Bolivarian Revolution (Resistance Books, Sydney 2008). The film highlights the people’s revolution sweeping Venezuela and the need for international solidarity.
The film tells the saga of Wynter’s determined efforts to meet with President Chavez during her stay in Venezuela in 2008-9, and her desire to communicate with the leader of the Bolivarian revolution about the development of a growing international solidarity movement with the Venezuelan people, even in a far-away, English-speaking country like Australia.
The film effectively presents the personal story of Wynter’s longstanding connection with Venezuela going back to the 1970s, and her more recent involvement in helping to organise solidarity brigades, under the auspices of the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network (AVSN), as the foreground for depicting the reality of Venezuela today.
It captures some of the Venezuelan people’s power, organised through communal councils, health and educational social missions, and the Bolivarian project of using Venezuela’s vast oil wealth for the benefit of the poor majority, rather than US imperialism and the entrenched traditional oligarchy.
Stunning cinematography, humour and the warmth and generosity of the ordinary Venezuelan people shine through in this movie.
Check the AVSN website for details of other city showings of “Chasing Chavez”.