Undertow (2009) Contracorriente (original title)

Director:

Javier Fuentes-León

Writer:

Javier Fuentes-León (written by)

Release Date:

16 April 2010 (Colombia)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

An unusual ghost story set on the Peruvian seaside; a married fisherman struggles to reconcile his devotion to his male lover within his town's rigid traditions. |

Plot Keywords:

Fisherman | Seaside | Ghost | Peruvian | Secret

Awards:

9 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Cristian Mercado	...	Miguel
Tatiana Astengo	...	Mariela
Manolo Cardona	...	Santiago
Attilia Boschetti	...	Sra La Rosa
José Chacaltana	...	Héctor
Maria Edelmira Palomino	...	Doña Flor
Julio Humberto Cavero	...	Padre Juan
Haydeé Cáceres	...	Trinidad
Emilram Cossío	...	Pato
Cindy Díaz	...	Isaura
Juan Pablo Olivos	...	Tano
Christian Fernandez	...	Jacinto
Monica Rossi	...	Ana
Germán González	...	Dr. Fernandez
Liliana Alegría	...	Carlata (as Liliana Alegria Saavedra)
Tomas Fernandez	...	Sergio
Alfonso Gamboa	...	Sergio
Jaziel Venque Veliz	...	Babe

Directed by
Javier Fuentes-León

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Javier Fuentes-León		written by

Produced by
Andres Calderon	....	executive producer
Cristian Conti	....	executive producer
Javier Fuentes-León	....	producer
Christian Fürst	....	executive producer
Emilie Georges	....	executive producer
Rodrigo Guerrero	....	producer
Ole Landsjöaasen	....	executive producer
Annette Pisacane	....	executive producer
Michel Ruben	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Selma Mutal Vermeulen

Cinematography by
Mauricio Vidal

Film Editing by
Roberto Benavides

Casting by
Rodrigo Bellott

Art Direction by
Diana Trujillo

Production Management
Alexa Rivero	....	post-production supervisor
Mirlanda Torres	....	production manager

Art Department
Leslie Hinojosa	....	on-set dresser
Maribel Villagaray	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Jean Collot	....	foley artist
Jean Collot	....	sound editor
Daniel Garces Najar El Gato	....	foley artist
Daniel Garces Najar El Gato	....	sound designer
Daniel Garces Najar El Gato	....	sound editor
Daniel Garces Najar El Gato	....	supervising sound editor
John Figueroa	....	boom operator
Nicolás Herreño Leal	....	sound effects editor
Edgar Lostanau	....	sound
José Hernán Valenzuela	....	foley artist

Visual Effects by
Bill Georgiou	....	visual effects
Sean Kennedy	....	visual effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Héctor Álvarez	....	photo still

Editorial Department
Phillip J. Bartell	....	supervising editor

Other crew
Manuel Hinojosa	....	first assistant director: action unit
Claudia Roca Bravo	....	assistant production coordinator (as Claudia Roca)
Ivan Suzzarini	....	technical director

Thanks
Sam Eigen	....	special thanks
Brandon Paine	....	special thanks
Jeffrey Schwarz	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Elcalvo Films
• Dynamo Producciones
• Dynamo
• La Cinéfacture
• Neue Cameo Film

Distributors

• Filmmaker's Collaborative, The (2010) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Cinemien (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Karma Films (2010) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Wolfe Releasing (2010) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Alberto Bitelli Intl. Films (2010) (Brazil) (all media)
• Axiom Films (2010) (UK) (all media)
• Dynamo Capital (2009) (Colombia) (all media)
• Dynamo Capital (2009) (France) (all media)
• Dynamo Capital (2009) (Germany) (all media)
• Dynamo Capital (2009) (Peru) (all media)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Homescreen (2010) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Outplay (2010) (France) (all media)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix

Also Known As:

"Contracorriente" - Peru (original title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

Peru | Colombia | France | Germany

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color | Color (Super 16mm)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Mexico:C | Netherlands:6 | Ireland:15A | Australia:MA | UK:15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Cabo Blanco, Peru

Company:

Elcalvo Films

Movie Connections:

Features "Direito de Amar" (1987)

Undertow: Undeservedly Under The Radar

In early 2010, the first Peruvian film ever nominated for a Foreign Language Film Oscar -- "Milk Of Sorrow" (2009) -- got a U.S. 2-screen release that grossed all of 10K. Clearly UNDERTOW has no Peruvian coattails to ride in on. Despite Sundance kudos and buzz, it's already being ghettoized as a gay film. Yet it clearly is so much more. UNDERTOW doubly violates that genre's political correctness: the lead is both closeted and heroic while the captivating tale constantly eschews white/urbane predictability. We watch two more curve balls being thrown at us as well: next-world fantasy and 3rd world folklore. So this is definitely not "'Brokeback Mountain' meets 'Ghost'" as several critics have written it off in facile reviewer shorthand. But UNDERTOW may well have the power to connect with portions of the mainstream audiences for both of those films -- via word of mouth, curiosity-building press and guerrilla marketing. Our unexpected attraction to a real-life subsistence-poor fishing village and its close-knit, tradition-bound "primitive" citizens are seamlessly woven into the film's cast as well as fabric. Breath-taking cinematography, a script illuminating characters rather than telescoping plot, understated yet powerful performances and a hypnotic world music soundtrack take UNDERTOW far beyond the shorelines of dry-docked movie-making. Many high-concept films have dealt with men forced to choose between family and lovers. Others have pitted unlikely heroes against the mores of society. Nor is a quest to carry out the final wishes of the dearly departed at all innovative. But UNDERTOW combines these themes in a way no writer- director has done before. First-timer Javier Fuentes-León does so with fearless honesty and sublime-on-a-shoestring craft. No surprise then that it's this year's Foreign Language entry from Peru.