San Sebastian harvests pic Pearls

Three pix by Latin-American filmmakers chosen

By EMILIO MAYORGA

Nine of the most notable pics selected this year by Sundance, Cannes, Berlin and Venice fests will make up the Pearls showcase, part of the Zabaltegi sidebar at the 54th San Sebastian Intl. Film Festival.

Three Pearls are by prominent Latin-American filmmakers: Mexican Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Babel," a harsh parable about pain and violence worldwide, which is the third part of a trilogy begun by "Love's a Bitch" and continued with "21 Grams"; Alfonso Cuaron's "Children of Men";  and Argentinean Israel Adrian Caetano's kidnapping thriller "Buenos Aires, 1977."

Other Pearls announced Tuesday are Portuguese pic "Belle Toujours," helmed by the 97-year-old Manoel de Oliveira, a tribute to, and sequel of, Luis Bunuel's film of nearly the same title; Mauritanian Abderrahmane Sissako's "The Court," a docu-style description of contemporary Africa; and Swiss Fredi Murer's "Vitus," about a child prodigy.

Three movies round out the showcase: road trip comedy "Little Miss Sunshine," from Jonathan Dayton and first-timer Valerie Faris; Jonathan Demme's Neil Young portrait "Heart of Gold"; and "Paris, je t'aime," 20 stories that have Paris as a common feature.

Zabaltegi Special Screenings will feature an ecelectic clutch of Spanish docus: David Trueba and Luis Alegre's  "La silla de Fernando," Arkaitz Basterra Zalbide's "Agian" (Maybe), Harkaitz Martinez and Igor Otxoa's "Nomadak TX," Eterio Ortega's "Noticias de una guerra," and Fernando Mendez-Leite's "El productor" (The Producer").

Zabaltegi is fest's main sidebar comprising an Altadis New Directors competition, Special Spanish Documentary Screenings and Pearls. Fest runs Sept. 21-30.