María Jesús "Chus" Gutiérrez (born 1962) is a Spanish director, writer, and actress. Gutiérrez has experiences of moving back and forth between Spain and the United States, which influenced her filmmaking, as her films are known for discussing topics such as immigration, globalization, and multiculturalism.

Early life

María Jesús Gutiérrez was born in

Granada Granada (,, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the c ...

in 1962. She moved to

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

with her family in 1970. She moved to London to learn English when she was 17. At the age of 21 she moved to New York to study filmmaking at Global Village, under the instruction of Fred Barney Taylor. At the age of 23, she enrolled in

The City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, C ...

CUNY The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the public university system of New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven senior colleges, seven community colleges and seven prof ...

and was admitted to the Picker Film Institute in order to continue her filmmaking education.

Career

Gutiérrez first worked with Super 8, at which she gained experiences in filmmaking in diverse areas. She formed a rap group “Xoxonees” in the late 80s. In 1987 she moved back to Spain for her group to record their album. In 1989 the group disbanded. Since the 1990s she has worked mainly as a director. However, she also acts in her own films.

Direction

Gutiérrez is known for making films with a low budget. For example, she uses hand-held camera shots and natural lighting, and she does not play with different angles but normally uses straight-on angle positions. Other than the fact that its location was New York, she managed to keep costs down in her first film ''Sublet'' (1992) by shooting indoors. ''Sexo Oral'' (1994) is said to be the cheapest Spanish film ever made. She kept its costs down by interviewing non-professional actors, and not hiring many professional actors. Her approach to problems about immigration, globalization, and multiculturalism can be frequently seen in her films. '' Poniente'' (2002) describes African immigration issues on Spanish identity. As a woman director, she includes a feminist approach in her film as well. In '' Return to Hansala'' (2008) she depicts a Moroccan woman as a strong and independent character, who has her own ideas towards immigrant issues and is not scared of speaking of them in public. In addition to that, she plays with the idea of cultural "otherness" by looking at the tensions among society, religious, ethnicity, and history. Representing immigrants issues also ties with politics in the film. The film reflects how North African Muslims are seen as immigrants, and how current politics made them move away from their home land.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gutierrez, Chus Film directors from Andalusia 21st-century Spanish actresses Living people 1962 births People from Granada Spanish women screenwriters Spanish women film directors