Focus Area – South America; Focus Country – Venezuela
Jonathan Jakubowicz is famous as the writer and director of some very noteworthy films such as Secuestro Express which brought him instant international recognition in 2005. The film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the British Independent Film Awards and was a New York Times “Critics’ Pick” as well. His latest venture, Hands of Stone, starring names such as Robert De Niro, Edgar Ramirez, Ana de Armas, Ellen Barkin, Ruben Blades, John Turturro and Usher, premiered as an Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival 2016 and was released worldwide by The Weinstein Company.
His first novel, ‘Las Aventuras de Juan Planchard’ which was published in 2016, has captured the attention of the people of Venezuela, becoming an important text for the fifty thousand-odd community of Resistencia Venezuela hasta los tuétanos (resistance to the Maduro dictatorship). They read the book aloud every night on the encrypted frequency of the app Zello. This novel is touted to be the biggest best-seller of all time for a Venezuelan author. Through his first novel, Jakubowicz weaves a thrilling tale which combines action, adventure, suspense, drama and comedy while providing an insight into life at Venezuela. His book is relevant and given the current circumstances in the country, an essential read for anyone interested in the Venezuelan state of affairs.
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