Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
n action film directed by Diego Velasco that takes place during a medical strike in Venezuela.
Synopsis
In Caracas in 1996, a medical strike takes place. Parca (Zapata 666), a self-described
Grim reaper
The Grim Reaper is a popular personification of death in Western culture in the form of a hooded skeletal figure wearing a black robe and carrying a scythe. and regular ''sicario'', brings a pregnant injured woman (Amanda Key) to his gang; the locals are unsympathetic to the doctors' reasons for strike and kidnap a doctor ( Erich Wildpret) from the picket line, but the child is born in the back of a car. Witnessing this, Parca becomes invested in helping the needy, holding-up a private hospital and taking hostages to release in return for treatment of those from the slums. Eventually, this violent scheme collapses on him and the people around him.
Production
The production mimicked the story of the film, facing troubles involving the kidnap of three crew members, including its co-producer, director Velasco being held-up at gunpoint, and the assassination of an actor shortly before recording his parts. Despite the themes, a co-writer said that they "want viewers to digest and interpret the movie’s ideas, not to put ideas in their heads".
By 2016, it was the highest-grossing Venezuelan national film, getting $3.5 million in box office takings in Venezuela.
Reception
The film was well-received in the Americas, both North and South. It was given as an example in the book ''The Precarious in the Cinemas of the Americas'' of a "socially-engaged thriller ..that akesuse of mainstream cinema techniques, such as MTV-style, fast-paced editing and the inclusion of violent scenes to call attention to the collective responsibility for social inequalities".
Cast
* Zapata 666 - Parca
* Amanda Key - Lady Di (after
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...
, but pronounced "Lady Dee")
* Erich Wildpret - Dr. Ricardo Cova
*
Laureano Olivares
Laureano Olivares (born 16 September 1978) is a Venezuelan actor best known for his role in Elia Schneider's movie ''Sicario (1994 film), Sicario'' at the age of 16.
Filmography Films
* ''Sicario (1994 film), Sicario'' (1994)
* ''Glue Sniffer, H ...
- Buitre
*
Marisa Román
María Isabel Román Bianchetti (born January 30, 1982) is a Venezuelan actress known for her role in various Venevisión telenovelas written by renowned screenwriter and various theater and film productions.
Biography
Marisa began acting at t ...
- Veronica Rojas
*
Albi De Abreu
Albi De Abreu (born as Albino de Abreu Do Nascimiento on 31 May 1975) is a Venezuelan theater and television actor.
Biography
Albi began his television career at the age of 14 when he began appearing in several TV commercials. He got his first ...
- Jesus
Awards
The film won three international awards, "Best Action Sequence Martial Arts Feature" at the US
Action On Film International Film Festival
The Action On Film International Film Festival, also known as the Action On Film Festival, was founded in 2004. It was held in California until 2017 when it moved to the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. As a hub for many returning filmmake ...
Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) includes feature films, documentaries, and short films from the Spanish and Portuguese diaspora. The six-day festival was established in 1997. The festival was founded by Marlene Dermer (a ...
(2011). It was also nominated for the Best Latin-American Film award at the Mexican
Ariel Award
The Ariel Award () is an award that recognizes the best of Mexican cinema. Given annually, since 1946, by the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas, Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (AMACC), the award reco ...