Al Gorosito, the film enthusiast who committed suicide at the MEC and left farewell videos

“Was this necessary? I think so, is the only way that this is made known as it should. Beyond the fact that doing it does not guarantee me anything, but as you will see, I tried to do absolutely everything else, “he said in a video published the same day that the police found him dead in the San José and Paraguay premises, in the heart of Montevideo. . Before those images that could be seen on the Internet in the afternoon, he entered showing a weapon, with a can of gasoline and a mask. He threatened the employees but did not harm them. The violence was exercised with himself.

“I was always someone who said he was willing to give his life for what he believes in. But only my life, or only my bad time (…) I just want my life and integrity to be at stake.”, made it clear in the video that would be published later. It was his “only and last means” to “make known” his complaints, he said.

The Minister of Education and Culture, Pablo da Silveira, was clear that “he promoted cultural activities with a long history of claims before the ministry”, recognized this Tuesday on San José street while firefighters and police officers worked on the third floor of the Directorate of Culture where the man set fire to a staircase, locked himself in a room, and that’s where officers found him dead. Next to him was a knife, a firearm and a letter.

Al Gorosito committed suicide inside the MEC premises after entering and entrenching himself, in the Center of Montevideo

“Know that the reason for this is the only thing that I had not tried to solve this and other issues. My goal is to be enough with my life so that things like this don’t happen again,” he says in the video he titled: “Cultural Incentive Funds – Complaints, Why Now?, Update / January 2022 Part 1” .

Those who worked with him know that he was a fan of cinema, movies. The majority located it because it coincided in avant premiere, activities or related events. As a movie commentator, she captured her work on the show from movie that he himself coordinated so that it was broadcast on YouTube, cable channels in the interior of the country and even abroad. “I arrived in Paraguay,” recalls communicator Ariel Pérez, who worked with Al Gorosito in 2018.

Al Gorosito did the film column in espresso, the program that was then broadcast by Universal radio at night. “He was a movie fanatic. He comes to me at a movie launch press conference. He told me that he made film comments, he approached, ”recalls Pérez, in dialogue with The Observer. That happened at the launch of Gildathe film starring Natalia Oreiro (2016), and from then on the bond was strictly professional, although it had nuances.

“When something happened to you, he was the first to call, he was always ready to give you a hand. But he wasn’t very open about his personal life either, ”added Pérez. Luciana Rodríguez, who was also a member of that film and entertainment column, remembers that she also once wrote for her page, also called from movie.

They both say they don’t remember his name. He was always Al Gorosito for everyone. “Once we asked him, he screwed us over. He was Al Gorosito, his artistic name” and from there he did not move, says Rodríguez. “If you want to remember him for something, it was for his love of Marvel. Always with the movies and the t-shirts”, closes the talk.

“He was very explosive, black or white,” says a close friend for professional issues. Others remember him as a respectful person, who spent hours producing, being at events and looking for information. It was not uncommon for a movie critic’s cell phone to ring and for him to be To Gorosito to get rid of any doubts because he had to film a video or go on air on his show.

The film critics Alberto Postiglioni and Amílcar Nochetti were the closest people. They accompanied him in this last time, but both died as a result of the coronavirus.

Criticism and complaints

Although he never joined the Uruguayan Film Critics Association (ACCU), those who do remember it because they coincide in private activities or functions. “We know him for his self-managed activity in digital mediaand for having had their presence at our year-end events. We regret the event”limited himself to saying the association in a message to The Observer.

He lived in the Cerro de Montevideo area and was active in an evangelical church, but little was known about him beyond his passion for movies. He was known for his moves, for denunciations and criticism, even for Oscar-nominated movies. He came to make calls for critics from other countries to support him. He also claims to the National Film and Audiovisual Directorate (ICAU), which depends on the MEC.

Minister Da Silveira said Tuesday that it is “a history of claims that has been going on for many years.” Some of them were “to try to finance activities that he promoted and in the case of not having the support, he made persecutory interpretations,” he considered.

The hierarch lamented that the “many history of threats by this person to officials. It was a case that had been known for years, (it was) conflictive, confrontational, but very far from what happened today (for this Tuesday)”he exposed.

“The complaints These are things known by the State and by the press, for at least five years,” he claimed. To Gorosito in his latest posted video. “I’m willing to bet that if I didn’t do this, they wouldn’t have even heard of the cultural incentive funds. It is one of the many issues that are allowed to pass, it affects everyone’s pockets, ”he said. Y complained about non-compliance, mismanagement of public funds, “unjustified denials” to requests for access to public information, among others.

In addition, he apologized to those who were affected by his actions. “I know that this is not ideal, I know that for many it may create a bigger problem than I am trying to solve, but after having tried absolutely everything, this is the only thing that can be effective. I almost regret not having done it before (…) I preferred to do it and give my life for this”.