Luis Ara Hermida, known as Luis Ara, is an American-Uruguayan film director, screenwriter and producer. Although he was born in the United States, Luis Ara developed his entire film career in Uruguay. Luis Ara's work focuses on documentaries of different themes, which include sports, geography, or culture, always from the perspective of human experiences linked to each of the themes.
His first great foray into film documentaries occurs with the film 12 Hours 2 Minutes, which tells how after two years of waiting and with his heart working at only 8% of its capacity, Juan receives the news that there is a donor for him. 12 hours and 2 minutes elapse from that call to the end of the operation. Four stories of patients who went through the same situation with different luck are woven throughout the documentary. A story full of hope and a clear message about what it means to receive a transplant for someone whose days are important; a message of hope transmitted by people who had a second chance to live. This film was inspired by the story of the director's own mother, Cecilia Hermida, who had to receive a heart transplant. The film marks a milestone for the Uruguayan director, as the film opens in theaters in Uruguay and worldwide on the Netflix platform.
In November 2013, he released his second film, Players with a Patent, where he counts as Álvaro Recoba and Antonio Pacheco captains, idols and referents of Nacional and Peñarol (Uruguayan football teams) respectively, despite the enormous rivalry between both teams, they are close friends in his personal life and together they co-direct a murga ( a uniquely Uruguayan musical theatre genre), Asaltantes con Patente that participates and wins the official contest of carnival groups at the Carnival in Uruguay.
In 2015 he released two films, both with stories related to sport. The first is "Gonchi: the movie" where it deals with the life and career of Uruguayan motorist Gonzalo "Gonchi" Rodríguez, who died at the age of 28 in qualifying tests at the Laguna Seca circuit. During the documentary, personalities of motorsport such as Mark Weber, Juan Pablo Montoya, Christian Horner y Charlie Whiting tell about their experiences with the Uruguayan driver. This film is also released in theaters and on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video platforms. The second film is "Teros, a world dream" which deals with the Uruguayan rugby team, nicknamed «Los Teros», and their participation in qualifying for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and the amateur character of their players that none he is a professional sportsman, and the stark contrast to the professionalism of his group rivals (Wales, Australia, Fiji and England).
In his fifth film, Peru: Hidden Treasure, the director uses the story of renowned characters as an excuse to show the viewer the natural, cultural, social and gastronomic wealth of Peru, and in this way make known the treasures that time has known preserve that they are even unknown to some Peruvians. This film was released in theaters in Peru and worldwide on Netflix.
His next film, which also premieres on Netflix is "Para siempre Chape", tells the story of Chapecoense, a Brazilian football club based in Chapecó, Santa Catarina, which in just 6 years rose from the fourth division to the Serie A (first division). The small club in 2016 gave the surprise by reaching the final of the Copa Sudamericana against the Colombian team Atlético Nacional. Unfortunately, that final could never be played because the plane that transported the Chapecoense team to Colombia, to play the first leg, suffered an air accident that cost the lives of 71 people, including 19 footballers. This film was released in theaters in Colombia and Brazil, and on Netflix.
In 2019 "Alexis Viera" premieres, a story of overcoming. On this occasion, the chosen story is that of Alexis Viera, a Uruguayan soccer player who in 2015 was assaulted when he arrived at his home in Cali, Colombia. During the assault, the player receives two shots, which affect his spine and cause him to lose mobility in his legs, which is why he must stop playing sports. The film highlights how the will and effort of the protagonist leads him from having a medical prognosis of not being able to walk again, to recovering to the point of being able to walk with the help of crutches. This documentary was released in theaters in Colombia and Uruguay, and on Netflix.
