A Conversation With Catalina Arroyave on Debuting as a Female Filmmaker

Just a few weeks ago, Colombian filmmaker Catalina Arroyave Restrepo premiered her first movie at the international festival SXSW. The path that has brought her to this moment has been anything but short. On the contrary, she’s always wanted to be a director and has worked very hard to get here.

The trailer of her movie The Days of the Whale is enough to move the fibers of those who have grown up in Medellin, the city it takes place in. The existence of a story that faithfully represents so many of the diverse elements of the city is exhilarating. By freeing herself through her art, Catalina frees an entire city that has often been confined to myopic and sensationalist views in the film industry.

We talked about her debut movie, directing films as a woman in Latin America, the path traveled, and the road that remains. Don’t miss this thrilling conversation.

MF: How did your career start? Why did you decide to become a film director?

CAR: I’ve written since I was very young. I grew up being very close to my uncles, my parents, and my grandmother because I have no siblings and for a long time they were my big company. Listening to all their stories, the discussions, and the conversations they had, of course, I started to have an overflowed…