¿Puedo Hablar? May I Speak?



“¿Puedo Hablar? is by far the best film I have seen on the Chavez era in Venezuela. Far too often documentary filmmakers and the mainstream media portray the extremes in contemporary Venezuela and such work becomes slanted towards hard-core Chavistas or hard-core opposition. The film demonstrates that the Venezuelan reality is not so black and white, but much more complex. No other documentary film tackles these issues as well as this film..."

-Kim Morse, Dept. of History, Washburn University

¿Puedo Hablar? May I Speak? is a new documentary film by Sol Productions which chronicles the 2006 Presidential Elections in Venezuela.  Sol Productions spent two months in Venezuela filming interviews and events with people from across the political spectrum.  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 team of four Americans traveled 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.  
OFFICIAL REVIEWS

"This movie will generate lively discussions in the classroom... It's a rare insight into Venezuela's political polarization."
-Javier Corrales, Department of Political Science, Amherst College

"A very balanced account of what occurred during the electoral year of 2006. I would use it in one of my classes!"
-Leonardo Vivas, Author, "Chavez: The Last Revolution of the 20th Century"

"Me gustó muchísimo. Parece que Moore es el apellido preciso para los excelentes documentalistas políticos de EEUU."
Gioconda Espina, Universidad Central de Venezuela

"A compelling, 'must-see' documentary for everyone who wants to know what is happening in Venezuela right now."
-Jose Torrealba, Providence Latin American Film Festival

"A fitting contribution to the alternative coverage of Venezuelan politics...Undermines the biased portrayals of Chavez put forth by major media outlets while also avoiding the trap of romanticizing Chavez as the answer to Latin America's problems... The Political programs pursued by leaders like Chavez... deserve to be critically examined, as they are in these films."
-NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America)

"I was very impressed. Remains distant from all the cliches and misunderstandings about Venezuela typified by US media, politicians and academics across the political spectrum. A must-see for any progressive in the U.S."
-Juan Pablo Lupi, UC-Santa Barbara

"Fresh, insightful, and polemic. Students loved it!"
-Ariel Armony, Colby College

"The film has excellent production value and provides a strong introduction to the multiplicity of perspectives that surrounded Hugo Chavez' reelection as Venezuelan president in 2006... Two thumbs up!"
-Ernesto Capello, University of Vermont

"The film makers did an excellent job allowing Venezuelans to speak for themselves... Delightfully fresh and informative."
-Heather McCrea, Kansas State University

"Rich in the variety of voices it brings to the fore about the relationships between power, social justice, and cultural difference."
-Barbara Riess, Alegheny College

"A very compelling documentary" -Churchill Roberts, The Documentary Institute, University of Florida

"The best film on Chavez and Venezuela that I've seen."
-Ruben Stern, Tufts University Latino Center

"A must-see film for anyone who wants to get a clear picture of current Venezuelan politics."
-Rhonda Buchanan, University of Louisville
SCREENINGS
2008
February 4 - Cornell
February 5 - Colby-Sawyer College
February 6 - Clark University
February 7 - Wellesley College
February 11 - Colby College
February 12 - Brown University
February 13 - Wesleyan University
February 18 - Muskingum College (OH)
February 19 - Kenyon College (OH)
February 20 - Louisville (KY)
February 21 - Vanderbilt U
February 22 - U of Georgia
February 25 - Georgia State U
February 26 - Rollins (FLA)
February 27 - Stetson University (FLA)
February 28 - University of Miami (FLA)
March 4 - U of Florida
March 6 - U of Alabama
March 10 - U of Oklahoma
March 12 - Seton Hall
March 13 - Allegheny (PA)
March 17 - U of Virginia
March 18 - U of Pittsburgh
March 19 - Indiana University
March 24 - Conn College
March 25 - Boston College
March 26 - George Mason
March 27 - Miami University (OH)
April 1 - Pepperdine University
April 2 - U of Southern California
April 3 - St. Mary's (Los Angeles)
April 4 - UC Santa Barbara
April 8 - U of San Francisco (Dakar film)
April 9 - U of San Francisco
April 22 - U of Pudget Sound (WA)
Oct 29 - University of Nevada - Reno
Nov 11 - Pomona College
Nov 14 - Stanford University

2007
Sept 23 - Providence Lat Am Film Fest
Sept 24 - Central Conn State U
Sept 26 - Trinity College
Oct 1 - Amherst College
Oct 2 - St. Bonaventure
Oct 3 - St. Lawrence
Oct 4 - Bentley College
Oct 5 - Harvard University
Oct 6 - University of Vermont
Oct 7 - Middlebury College
Oct 8 - University of New Hampshire
Oct 9 - Bates College
Oct 10 - Lesley University
Oct 11 - Tufts University
Oct 12 - New York University
Oct 15 - Dartmouth College
Oct 16 - Georgetown University
Oct 17 - Loyola (MD)
Oct 18 - George Washington U
Oct 20 - Lincoln/Sudbury High School
Oct 22 - Skidmore College
Oct 23 - Bard College
Oct 25 - CUNY Lehman
Oct 26 - Plymouth State University
Oct 29 - Suffolk University
Oct 30 - Union College
Oct 31 - University of Illinois
Nov 1 - Northern Illinois
Nov 2 - University of Chicago
Nov 4 - Kansas State University
Nov 5 - Washburn University
Nov 7 - University of Kansas
Nov 8 - University of Iowa
Nov 9 - University of Wisconsin
Nov 10 - Michigan State University
Nov 11 - Kalamazoo College
Nov 14 - Brigham Young University
Nov 15 - University of Utah
Nov 17 - University of Bradford (UK)
Nov 19 - University of London
Nov 19 - Frontline Club, London
Nov 20 - London School of Economics
Nov 21 - Edinburgh University
Nov 22 - Nat'l University of Galway
Nov 23 - Cambridge University
Nov 28 - Lewis & Clark College
Nov 29 - Portland State University
Nov 30 - Yale University
Content copyright . Sol Productions. All rights reserved.

Sol Productions
1329 10th St. NW, Washington, DC 20001
(603) 573-5556

Sol Productions operates in two principal capacities. As a registered S-Corporation, Sol Productions in Venezuela, Inc., we produced and published ¿Puedo Hablar? in 2007. Under the non-profit Sol Productions Foundation we own and operate the Democracy in Dakar and Democracy in Paris series.