into the 11th Moscow International Film Festival. He also directed the 1980 telenovela Elizabeth. In 1982 he directed Los Criminales (The Criminals), based on Rodolfo Santana's play, who also write the script and, two years later Retén de Catia (Catia's Jailhouse), based on a book by Gustavo Santander, under pseudonym of Juan Sebastián Aldana. Both were two strong critics of Venezuelan society and politics, well received by the audience and box-office hits, who were attacked by the media, intellectuals and high class society, because he failed to follow the rules, and to show a part of the country that they're not recognized at their own. His films were also criticized because he always based his films on the lives and troubles of ordinary people. This lead him to direct a comedy feature film in 1984, Agua que no has de Beber (Water You Shall Not Drink), in which he continued showing the national smartness and corruption of people and institutions, with a mild tone and sense of humor. Next day after released, he died. In 1985, a year after his death, the National Council published a book titled Clemente de la Cerda, texts, films, illustrations, which made an exhaustive study of Cerda's cinematographic work. Filmography External links References Venezuelan film directors 1935 births 1984 deaths