Cassandro, the Exótico!

MarieLosier@CassandrotheExotico


Marie Losier

FR 2018
73 min | 16mm auf HD | English

B: Marie Losier, Antoine Barraud
K: Marie Losier | S: Ael Dallier Vega
T: Gilles Bénardeau | P: Tamara Films, Tu Vas Voir | V: Urban Distribution Intl
Mit Saúl „Cassandro” Armendáriz


Wednesday | 16 oct 10.30 pm | Werkstattkino  | closing


Filmed in 16mm, in a deliberately raw style full of flares, editing stutters, speed accelerations and shining colour, Marie Losier’s new documentary follows the final five years of Saúl “Cassandro” Armendáriz’s career as a professional exótico wrestler. Cassandro, who is openly gay and transvestite, was a key figure for the evolution of the exótico category of freestyle wrestling, where fighters perform in drag, challenging the macho stereotypes.
The film mixes footage from fights, on-camera interviews, Skype
conversations, family encounters, a music collage, and intimate backstage confessions. It pays attention to settings and objects as an extension of the protagonist, offering a glimpse into his cultural and religious Mexican roots. (Cristina Álvarez López) 




Marie Losier   
born 1972 in France. She has lived in New York for seventeen years. Studied American literature in Paris and painting at Hunter College in New York. Losier stages idiosyncratic documentary artist portraits of heroes, personal friends and idols of the underground scene. Her works can be seen in major museums around the world as well as at renowned festivals, cinemas and galleries. Her films can be seen at the Tate Modern, the Centre Pompidou, the Rotterdam Film Festival and the Cinémathèque Française.


Films
    The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye 2011 (6. UX) | In Hommage to George and Mike Kuchar 2011 | Alan Vega, Just a Million Dreams 2013 | Masha Natasha 2015 | Cassandro, the Exótico! 2018