Screening – Venezuela: “Puedo Hablar? May I Speak?”

“¿Puedo Hablar? May I Speak?” is a new documentary film which chronicles the 2006 presidential elections in Venezuela.  The film offers its audience a portrait of a Venezuelan society at a crossroads; a re-elected president, challenged by a mounting opposition; a divided state, but one from which the Sol team manages to extract glimmers of hope for renewed dialogue and a bridging of the political gap. 

The directors spent two months in Venezuela filming interviews and events with people from across the political spectrum.  The team of four Americans travelled to six different regions of Venezuela, filming everywhere from the notorious barrios of Caracas to the oil-rich Lake Maracaibo, from a city of five million to an Amazonian pueblo of twenty-three, traveling in everything from Chavista motocicletas to dug-out canoes to a private jet. 

This documentary offers a snapshot of a society beginning its ninth year under Chavez; a valuable launching point from which its audience will more aptly understand the current state of Venezuela and its president, Hugo Chavez.  It offers a unique and intriguing insight to the role of pluralism and dialogue not just in the realm of Venezuelan politics but also that of global relations.  

Producer/Directors: Chris Moore, Magee McIlvane and Mo Masterton
Length: 75 mins

View trailer here