Our Shore of the World
Toro, Colombia is located in the southwest of the country, in the foothills of the Andes, along the banks of the Cauca River. It is a landscape of enigmatic beauty: lush green, with enormous saman trees, ringed by mountains, and swept by a strong breeze from the Pacific. Years ago, during a severe drought, a group of local fishermen discovered mastodon fossils dating back to 10,000 B.C. The land was once home to the Chancos, Yngaraes, and Totumas peoples. The Conquest brought with it miscegenation, the Colony, and the banners of feudalism; Independence brought political voice and regional leadership, rooted in the confederated cities. In the 20th century, violence left its mark on a mostly conservative community, while in 1936 cinema began to take hold in the old Teatro Real, under the clergy’s administration and through the ingenuity and skill of the Castro brothers, who also introduced photography to the town.
In that quiet place, where nothing extraordinary seemed to happen, chance arrived one day—accompanied by curiosity and complicity. In 2007, a collective of emerging artists from Cali came to Toro with the local artist Ana María Castro, a descendant of the Castro brothers, to lead a project to rescue the town’s photographic archive. The encounter with memory, old family albums, portraits, and records of pivotal moments, sparked something in the minds of young people from Toro. They joined the effort to salvage the photographs of the region’s first photographer, José Maria Castro, known locally as “Chepe.” Soon, their synergies and complicities converged on a shared desire: to set the images in motion. This led to an audiovisual workshop that culminated in the making of a short film—today, like so many creations, lost in time.
Out of the urgent need to premiere that piece came the perfect excuse for the birth of the first showcase of national and international cinema, which would grow into the Festival de Cine de Toro.
Video Experimentoro
HOW TO GET TO TORO
The easiest way to reach Toro from anywhere in Colombia or abroad is through the cities of Pereira or Cali.
International airports: Matecaña (Pereira) and Alfonso Bonilla Aragón (Cali), both with transport terminals.
Pereira to Toro: 65 km – approx. 1h 20 min.
Cali to Toro: 165 km – approx. 2h 40 min
Toro is easily accessible via the Cartago–Cali Dual Highway and the Panorama Route.
For lodging and visitor information: produccion@cinetoro.co