Watch Preview Of

Picturesque Colombian Drama

"Chocó" Heading To

Berlin Panorama Debut

News by Tambay | January 31, 2012

It's titled simply Chocó, a film set in Colombia, which centers on the struggles of a 27-year-old mother of 2 (the titular Chocó), working a poorly-paid job in a gold mine, living in a tiny wooden hut, who's married to a reckless and abusive man named Everlides, a marimba player who gambles away their life savings.

Further...

... She truly believes that things will get better. But then she loses her job, her daughter wants her birthday cake and Everlides spends the last of their savings. Chocó finds herself standing in the village shop she passes every day and in front of which Everlides drinks away all their money and loses at dominoes. She looks at the colourful cakes on the counter. You won’t get anything for nothing here, the fat shopkeeper reminds her. If you want a cake, I want you.

The film is producer and screenwriter Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza’s directorial debut.

It's scheduled to screen at the Berlinale next month in its Panorama section. S&A won't be at Berlin this year unfortunately; though I'd love to be there, because the lineup thus far is enticing, and there's a nice representation of Diasporic films scheduled to screen; maybe next year.

Check out a 7-minute behind-the-scenes preview of Chocó below (sorry, it's not subtitled in English; but I'm loving the images):