Corazon Abierto

Corazon Abierto (or Open heart in English) is an ode to Honduran filmmaker Sami Kafati, who died in 1996. His fiction films told the story of life in Honduras and subtly suggested his worries about conditions there. In this documentary, we catch a glimpse of the production process for the film No hay tierra sin dueno (There is no land without an owner), which he was not able to finish before he died. His children, widow and friends share stories of his filmmaking talent. No hay tierra sin dueno was released in 2003, despite the filmmakers untimely death seven years before.

About Sami Kafati

In Honduras, a country that produces very few films, Sami Kafati is regarded as the premier filmmaker. Kafati made his first black-and-white film, Mi amigo Angel, in 1962. Kafati studied film in Italy, where he became fascinated by neorealism. His films often portray real life and everyday scenes.

About the documentary maker

Documentary filmmaker Katia Lara is from Honduras and is the founder of Terco Producciones and the Honduran Filmmakers Union. She is a member of Cinergia, Middle American and Cuban audiovisual film fund. She was educated in Honduras, Mexico and Argentina.

Scenes

There is no land without an owner
In 1980 Honduran Filmmaker Sami Kafati told a journalist that he had to finish his movie that same year or else he would have to give up. Producing the movie There is no Land Without an Owner (No hay tierra sin dueno) was the one thing he had always wanted.
Finishing the film
Sami Kafati died in 1996. He did not manage to finish his feature film. After his death the idea of finishing the film grew and Kafati’s family called in the help of restorer Carmen Brito.
Pieces of the puzzle
Carmen Brito stayed in Honduras for a month, working day and night trying to find the pieces of the puzzle and dubbing voices. After doing so, the family sent her all the footage that Sami Kafati had filmed in his life, including the footage of his feature movie.
Obsessed with injustice
In this scene Sami Kafati and his crew talk about the production of There is no Land without an Owner. Kafati was very much upset about the injustice on the countryside, especially against childhood. He therefore decided to make a movie about this injustice.
A passionate filmmaker
Sami Kafati was the first to produce an Honduran film in 1962, which he made with hardly any resources. As is told by his family and former crew members, Kafati was a very passionate filmmaker.
Lost footage
Before Kafati died in 1996 he had already finished the rough cut of his movie. Restorer Carmen Brito tried to find the original footage in the material that Kafati’s family had sent her. She reported back to the family after two years; she couldn’t find it.
A challenging project
Saying something about the country’s reality meant being considered a communist at the time Kafati was shooting his film. He nevertheless felt that something had to be done. By the time his family is trying to finish his film, other problems occur.
A great achievement
Six years after Kafati’s death in 1996 his film is finally screened in Honduras.