Pedro Valiente

STORY

Play I Blog

 
 

Art, which finds its roots in the unconscious memory, is the evocation of the inner nature of human beings.
— Martha Graham
 

“I'm a filmmaker exploring new narratives, visual theater, writing, and visual art in the frame of interdisciplinary and multicultural storytelling on the idea of ecology of souls.” I LinkedIn

“Recent projects are Multiple Portraits (2024) video art trilogy, and You Are Mythical (2018) transmedia documentary film connecting daily life with classic myths that won awards in two film festivals in L.A.” I IMDb

 
 

 

▶ PLAY SIMULTANEOUSLY In Multiple Portraits the classic film language is deconstructed as action is fragmented on 4 screens. Anthropology meets digital cultures. Tarahumara Project (2024), Humans in the Desert (2022), Penelope is Waiting (2015).

 
 

“In New York, I entered the 'theater of images' working for three years on video design for The Days Before DDDIII by Robert Wilson. In Mexico City, I presented Japanese butoh dance inspired by Kazuo Ohno at the National Center for the Arts. In Madrid, I started on European avant-garde through Joan Brossa's work, made an early use of video on stage, and premiered contemporary theater.” I LinkedIn

 
 

IMDb

“Award winning filmmaker Pedro Valiente has directed films and visual theater. His work is connected with creative writing and visual art. He has received two awards in Berlinale and an Emmy nomination; near sixty honors including screenings in over a hundred film festivals (Sundance, SXSW); TV (PBS, BBC, TVE, Canal+); several presentations at MoMA; Whitney Biennial, and Lincoln Center. He started in film in New York, where he studied and worked for over ten years. He has also lived in Mexico City and the UK.” I IMDb 

IMDb 

[New York Spin] "Part experimental tone poem, part heartfelt elegy for 9/11 and part paean to the cultural richness of Gotham, [NYS] focuses on six New Yorkers. [...] This engrossing, imagistic portrait of the city and its denizens should prove a welcome short addition to fest and arty cable lineups." Ronnie Scheib, Variety. "This film shows filmmaking talent." Carole Dean, Roy W. Dean Foundation, NY. "I'm fascinated by this project: concept, people, structure, everything intrigues me." Deborah Cravey, Digital Media Center, Portland.

[Cuba 15] "It's as delightful as anything I've seen upon a television screen." Robert Lloyd, LA Times. "She's irresistible. We learn more from her in 15min than from a half-dozen feature documentaries." Amy Taubin, NY The Village Voice. I Press

The Buzz

 

NEW YORK 10yrs+ Collaborating with Robert Wilson. Work at New York Film Academy. First films UK 1.5yrs Coordinating BA (Hons) Contemporary Media Practice, Arts University Plymouth MEXICO CITY 5yrs Directing a film festival and TV series. Visiting lecturer at Tecnológico de Monterrey MADRID 15yrs+ Visual theater. Film lecturer and media for European project at UC3M. I Bio

Background

 
 

FILMMAKING

Filmmaking

“In New York, Pedro started producing Cuba 15, Best Short Film Jury Award & Audience Award at Berlinale (Panorama), Emmy Award nominee, selected in 40+ festivals, and aired on POV (PBS). He worked mostly as assistant director in a dozen of projects including films produced by Steven Soderbergh and Spike Lee; worked for Saturday Night Live (NBC), Time Warner, and Vivendi Universal; and collaborated with The Rockefeller Foundation. He coproduced Forgetful ft. Ana Torrent, short film by New York University graduates that gathered 16 awards. In Mexico City, he directed TV series and coproduced short films at Televisa’s Espacio.” I IMDb


Filmmaking I Films You Are Mythical I New York Spin Short Films Cuba 15 I Forgetful TV New York, Mexico City

Documentary Feature Films

YOU ARE MYTHICAL

(2018, Spain, 80:00) seven young Europeans connect their daily life with classic myths. Non-fiction film exploring new narratives, produced in five countries, won awards in two film festivals in L.A. I IMDb I You Are Mythical

NEW YOK SPIN

(2002, Spain/US, 87:00, 63:00) portrait of New Yorkers lives and dreams. The film follows 24 characters for two years turning into a celebration of diversity. It received ten honors in 40+ film festivals. I IMDb I New York Spin

 
 

Video Art Trilogy

INSTALLATIONS

Multiple Portraits is a series of contemporary paintings in motion. The classic film language is deconstructed as action is fragmented in simultaneous screens. Anthropology meets digital cultures. Tarahumara Project (2024, Mexico, 7:00), Humans in the Desert (2022, Jordan, 6:00), Penelope is Waiting (2015, Spain, 7:00).

Projects

VISUAL ART

Upcoming projects including work in progress on creative writing, visual theater-dance, and hybrid artwork. I Sites I Photo I Artwork I Art Research


 
 

VISUAL THEATER

Visual Theater

“In visual theater, […] attended workshops with the Wooster Group (cofounder Willem Dafoe), and Trisha Brown Dance Company. In Mexico City, contributed to introduce Japanese butoh dance at the National Center for the Arts. In his early career in Madrid, […]  coordinated a theater-dance company, and directed university theater.” I IMDb


Robert Wilson

Video design collaboration for three years in New York for The Days Before DDDIII, PhD dissertation and book series on Wilson’s creative process.

THE DAYS BEFORE DDDIII

(1999, US/Italy, 105min) by Robert Wilson with Umberto Eco (text), Ryuichi Sakamoto (music), Suzushi Hanayagi (choreography) ft. Fiona Shaw,  Isabella Rossellini, et al., co-produced by Lincoln Center. I Robert Wilson I The Days Before DDDIII


Theater Books I PhD

 
 

Filmmaking I Visual Theater I Poetry

WRITING

Screenwriting for film/media. Texts for visual theater in Mexico City. Poetic writing. Articles published in Madrid and New York. I Writing


Books Robert Wilson Writing Filmmaking I Visual Theater I Poetry Academic Writing Contemporary Media I Articles

You Are Mythical and New York Spin, my two feature films, are transmedia projects. I explore technology on stage as in Monster’s Decalogue a girl teaches language to a monster, and in Flying Fish Over Mexico Gondwana and Laurasia continents split up. My poetic writing feeds all my work. In Giant Dragons trilogy, Memories of Uruguay is a love story, The Numbers of Earth travels through 20th century history and a lifetime, Giant Dragons is inspired by fantastic tales from Medieval China. Most recent is The Book of B blending fiction and self-fiction in form of children’s book.” —PV

 
 

Multicultural

PROJECTS

International Relations director, NYFA, US I BA (Hons) Contemporary Media Practice program leader, AUP, UK I  European Project media director, UC3M, Spain I International Film Festival director, Mexico I Film/TV Event director, Mx I Projects


Art Research

FUTURE

Early use of video on stage in Madrid and transmedia filmmaking in New York. Creative research in AI and XR.

Projects Art/Technology

Interdisciplinary

SELECTED PROJECTS

Work internationally mostly in new academic programs.


Mx I Transmedia workshop at university, Chile I Myths MX arts at museum, Mx I The Barbaric Country site at Innovation Week, Mx I Selected Projects

Work Integrated Learning

UNIVERSITY

10yrs+ in Work Integrated Learning in the US, UK, Spain, and Mexico. Lecturing in film/digital media, performing arts, and visual art.

New York Film Academy I Arts University Plymouth UK I edX MIT/Harvard University I Universidad Carlos III de Madrid I Tecnológico de Monterrey Mx I Universidad Complutense de Madrid I University


EDUCATION

PhD Audiovisual Creativity and Production, MA Cinema Studies, MA Journalism. Training in Film, Photo, Writing, Theater/Dance (NY), Visual art (UK). I EducationPhD

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