Bogotá Story

Synopsis

After making films for almost a decade, Bogotá Story is the first one that takes me back to my roots in Colombia. It’s a very personal film; a fictional narrative inspired by my parents and the challenges I don’t remember living through as a baby.

Set in 1992, it tells the story of everyday people caught in a tumultuous era of political strife, drug violence, and daily power outages. It’s the kind of Latin American immigration story that is seldom seen by global audiences; one that centers the experiences of the everyday Colombians affected by drug trafficking and violence, instead of spotlighting those who were directly involved in it.

On a broad level, the film depicts a common, worldwide experience held by those who are forced to envision a brighter future in a place they don’t call home, potentially leaving behind a profound sense of meaning and identity.

On a personal level, it asks questions about our duty to our families versus our duty to ourselves. As a first generation Colombian who grew up with a single mom in the States, these themes and questions have been a natural obsession for me since I was a child.

Credits

Esteban Pedraza, Director, The Nurturing, In Reality, DeafBlind Couple
Esteban Pedraza, Writer
Diana C. Patiño Martinez, Producer, Entre Tú y Milagros (Venice Orizzonti Winner 2020), Leidi (Cannes Palme D’or Winner 2014)
Catalina Rey, Key Cast, “Pilar”
Victor Tarazona, Key Cast, “Alejandro”
Ryan Marie Helfant, Cinematographer
Marcela Gómez, Production Design, Los Reyes del Mundo, Amparo, Litigante, La Tierra y La Sombra,