To the West, in Zapata
TITLE
To the West, in Zapata
DIRECTOR
David Bim
COUNTRY
Cuba
YEAR
2025
DURATION
85′
GENRE
Documentary
To the West, in Zapata
In a constant cycle of survival and separation, a man has to go to extreme lengths in the Zapata swamp to provide for his wife and son.
DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY - David Bim
David BIM began his studies at the Catalonia Film School (ESCAC). In 2015, he wrote and directed The Last Two, a short film based on the true story of an elderly couple—the last inhabitants of a ghost villa- ge in rural Spain, isolated in the mountains. That same year, he was selected to study directing at the International Film School of Cuba (EICTV). Since 2017, he has been creating audiovisual and cultural content for Taller Chullima, a nonprofit cul- tural space in Havana where international artists offer workshops and masterclasses to local residents with an interest in the arts. In 2019, he participated in the Havana Biennial with the visual piece Infinite Journey, which explores Wilfredo Prieto’s macro-sculpture set in Cuba’s rural landscape. Since 2021, he has balanced his artistic career with teaching. His film workshop Constructing A New Fiction was awarded the EUNIC Cluster Fund Cuba 2023 — the network of European Union National Cultural Institutes — in recognition of its pedagogical and cultural contributions in the country. In 2023, he founded and currently directs FICCLAB, an international EICTV program focused on the develop- ment of first feature films through workshops, masterclasses, and mentoring sessions with internatio- nal filmmakers, script doctors, and producers. As a director, he spent eight years developing and filming his debut feature, To the West, In Zapata. The film premiered on April 9, 2025, at Visions du Réel in Nyon, where it was awarded the International Critics’ Prize (FIPRESCI) and the Special Jury Prize in the Burning Lights Competition.
- DirectorDavid Bim
- ScreenplayDavid Bim
- CinematographyDavid Bim
- Cast
- EditingDavid Bim
- Producer/s Lia Rodriguez, David Bim
- Production CompanyVentu Productions
- Distributor/sSquare Eyes Sales Agent Worldwide All Rights
- Project TitleTo the West, in Zapata
- Project TypeDocumentary
- Completion Date1 January 2025
- Country of originCuba
- Country of filmingCuba
- LanguageSpanish
- First-time Filmmaker Yes
- Student ProjectNo
David Bim
David BIM began his studies at the Catalonia Film School (ESCAC). In 2015, he wrote and directed The Last Two, a short film based on the true story of an elderly couple—the last inhabitants of a ghost villa- ge in rural Spain, isolated in the mountains. That same year, he was selected to study directing at the International Film School of Cuba (EICTV). Since 2017, he has been creating audiovisual and cultural content for Taller Chullima, a nonprofit cul- tural space in Havana where international artists offer workshops and masterclasses to local residents with an interest in the arts. In 2019, he participated in the Havana Biennial with the visual piece Infinite Journey, which explores Wilfredo Prieto’s macro-sculpture set in Cuba’s rural landscape. Since 2021, he has balanced his artistic career with teaching. His film workshop Constructing A New Fiction was awarded the EUNIC Cluster Fund Cuba 2023 — the network of European Union National Cultural Institutes — in recognition of its pedagogical and cultural contributions in the country. In 2023, he founded and currently directs FICCLAB, an international EICTV program focused on the develop- ment of first feature films through workshops, masterclasses, and mentoring sessions with internatio- nal filmmakers, script doctors, and producers. As a director, he spent eight years developing and filming his debut feature, To the West, In Zapata. The film premiered on April 9, 2025, at Visions du Réel in Nyon, where it was awarded the International Critics’ Prize (FIPRESCI) and the Special Jury Prize in the Burning Lights Competition.
