El Amparo

(El amparo)
Rober Calzadilla | Drama, Fiction, Thriller

2016 | 99 minutes | Colombia, Venezuela

In the Venezuelan town of El Amparo, near the border with Colombia, a group of fishermen sets off down the Aruca River. But only two men return, their friends shot down by the military, who claim they were clandestine guerrillas on a mission.

Synopsis

In the Venezuelan town of El Amparo, near the border with Colombia, a group of fishermen sets off down the Aruca River. But only two men return, their friends shot down by the military, who claim they were clandestine guerrillas on a mission. The army soon arrives to claim the two survivors, held in the local jail, but they encounter an honorable policeman and fiercely loyal population who will do anything to protect the truth as the pressures to stick to the official story become overwhelming. Based on the true story of a 1988 massacre, this feature debut of filmmaker Rober Calzadilla is a searing drama, now more timely than ever. - AFI Latin American Festival

Reviews

"I recommend this film to anyone interested in Latin American history, military atrocities, and political cover-ups." — Elena Landry, George Mason Libraries, EMRO

"This is the kind of story of injustice that always needs telling." — Jonathan Holland, The Hollywood Reporter

"An earthily told tale of injustice about a 30-year-old tragedy that decimated a Venezuelan pueblo, Roberto Calzadilla's debut feature, clearly the product of years of reflection on the subject, is a taut drama that smartly and wisely sidesteps the potential pitfalls of historical recreation. In short, it feels compellingly true." — Jonathan Holland, The Hollywood Reporter

Citation
Main credits

Calzadilla, R. (Rober) (film director)
García, Giovanny (actor)
Peña, Vicente (actor)
Quintero, Vicente (actor)
Valecillos, Karin (screenwriter)
Illias, Marianela (film producer)

Other credits

Cinematography, Michell Rivas; editor, Gustavo Rondón Córdova; music, Andrés Levell.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
violence, bullying, injustice, war, civil war, victims, survivors, police, corruption, assassination, massacre, murder, army, military, government, authoritarianism, guerilla, junta, community, history, real events, Colombia, Venezuela, spanish, spanish language, latin america, latin american cinema, latin american film, ibero america, latin, latinx, latino, latina,,criminal justice, crime, judiciary, police reform, corrections, criminal law, judicial system, justice department, prosecution, judgement, criminal law, courts and corrections, corrections institutes,latin american studies, caribbean american studies, island studies, latin american culture, latin american history, latin american politics, caribbean american culture, caribbean american history, caribbean american politics, latin american languages, latin american and caribbean studies, hispanic american studies, hispanic people, hispanic culture, hispanic politics,economics, social class, money, capital, capitalism, class, economy, prejudice, intersectionality, inequality, poverty, income gap, wage gap, class warfare, elitism, snobbery, bourgeois, poverty, upper class, middle class, lower class, nouveau riche,authority, authoritarianism, dictatorship, military regime, military government, fascism, repression, oppression, political oppression, political repression, far right, far right wing, modern fascism,geography, location, place, country, location, physical place, terrain, spatial awareness, territory, map, place, space, maps, cartography, countries, cities, mountains, territories, states, nations, borders, boundaries, topology, topography,human rights, public rights, equal rights, freedom of expression, basic human rights, united nations, activism, human rights activism, human rights council, human rights commission, universal human rights, universal rights,sociology, anthropology, psychology, sociological, sociological perspectives, conflict theory, human conflicts, sociological thinking,conflict perspective, topics in sociology, sociology topics, sociology studies, social studies, people and cultures, human relations, human relationships, cultural studies, culture studies ,international relations, global relations, global studies, international studies, international affairs, intercontinental relations, intercontinental studies, foreign studies, foreign relations, national relations, national studies, cross-continental studies, cross-continental relations,political science, micropolitics, macropolitics, political theory, political education, political movements, political thinking, political criticism, poly sci, polysci, political sci, political sciences, political history, history of politics, political systems,south america, south american countries, countries in south america, argentina, bolivia, brazil, chile, colombia, ecuador, guyana, paraguay, peru, suriname, uruguay, venezuela, south american politics, south american culture, south american cuisine, south american education, south america in media, south american languages, south america history,EL AMPARO,the official story,colombia,mar adentro,spanish movies,colombian,venezuelan,my man godfrey,Melaza,spanish language,central america,La reina,latin american films,official story,Nelly,The Chilean Building,emilio fernandez,5693845,alsino,survivor,Guerrilla,Apure Farnelli,El diputado,venezuela,short film,short films,spanish,human rights,vicente aranda,pan's labyrith,los cachorros,pan's labyrinth,the last train,san sebastian,carancho,historical drama,pragda,Apur Sansar,shorts,mexico,ana mendieta,holland,fresa y chocolate,el topo,elina lowensohn,el paciente interni,norte,hispanic films,el norte,Massacre River,foreign films; "El Amparo"; Pragda Films
Clips
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Festivals

Biarritz Film Festival - Audience Award
São Paulo Cinema Showcase - Jury Award, Best Screenplay
San Sebastián Film Festival
AFI Latin American Film Festival
Miami Film Festival
Havana Film Festival

DIRECTOR: Rober Calzadilla

NATIONALITY: Colombia, Venezuela

YEAR: 2016

GENRE: Drama, Fiction, Thriller

LANGUAGE: Spanish

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

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