Alba Sotorra (born 22 May 1980, Reus, Spain) is an independent film-director and producer of several documentaries. She has her own production company based in Barcelona.[1]
Education
editAlba Sotorra grew up in Reus, Tarragona.[1] She studied film at the Complutense University of Madrid, from where she graduated in 2004.[1] Her last year she studied in Puerto Rico.[2] She obtained a European Masters in Cultural Education from the University of Rovira i Virgili in 2007.[1]
Professional career
editUnveiled Views of 2008 is a documentary which portrays five women Alba Sotorra met while hitchhiking from Spain to Pakistan.[3]
Game Over was released in 2015, and treats the life of a man who is trapped in his internet world and in attempts to come free of it.[4] It won the Gaudì Award of Catalonia for best documentary in 2016.[2]
Comandante Arian was released in 2018 and is about a Kurdish female commander of the Women's Protection Units, who leads her troops towards Kobanî aiming for a defeat of the Islamic State.[5] She is also a member of the Dones Visuales.[1]
The Return: Life after ISIS of 2021 portrays Shamima Begum, Hoda Muthana or Kimberly Polman who had joined ISIS.[6][7] It contains news coverage of the defeat of ISIS at Baghuz and has a focus on the de-radicalization of the ISIS adherents.[6] It was nominated to the Goya Awards in 2022.[7]
Personal life
editShe has resided in Tarragona, Madrid, Berlin and Barcelona where she is currently based.[2] Following her graduation in 2004, she hitchhiked to Pakistan.[2] From Reus in Spain, the journey took her about a year and inspired her for her documentary Unveiled Views.[8]
Awards
edit- 2016 Best new filmdirector by the Colegio de Directores de Cataluña.[1]
- 2016 Best Documentary for Game Over at the Gaudi Awards[2]
- 2022 Best Documentary at the 50th International Emmy Awards for The Return: Life after ISIS[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Biografía de Alba Sotorra - Departamento de Bibliotecas y Documentación del Instituto Cervantes". www.cervantes.es. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
- ^ a b c d e "Interview Alba Sotorra | Barcelona Metròpolis | Barcelona City Council". Barcelona Metropolis. 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
- ^ "Unveiled Views | Watch Documentaries Online | Promote Documentary Film". www.cultureunplugged.com. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
- ^ "Game Over | DocumentaMadrid 15". DocumentaMadrid. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
- ^ "Commander Arian". Ethnicine-a. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
- ^ a b Kiang, Jessica (2021-03-27). "'The Return: Life After ISIS' Review: Compassionate, Essential Glimpse Into the Aftermath of Radicalization". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
- ^ a b "El Retorno: la vida después del ISIS » Premios Goya 2023". www.premiosgoya.com. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
- ^ Simon, Xesco (2022-01-17). "Entrevista a Alba Sotorra: "No hay voz más poderosa en contra del extremismo violento que la de las arrepentidas" - Las Furias Magazine - Revista Cultural y Feminista". Las Furias Magazine (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-12-19.
- ^ Maas, Jennifer (2022-11-22). "International Emmys 2022: The Complete Winners List". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-19.