meteor (meteor), Colombian visual artist and director Sebastián Munera’s debut feature, promises to be a roller-coaster ride when it world premieres in Venice Critics Week’s competition lineup on September 8. Just listen to me!
Tifa and Nia live in a small town near the Magdalena River, where they are raising Nia’s young nephew. Nia then convinces Tifa to join her in smuggling cell phones into the regional prison. Their journey leads them through – here it comes! – An amusement park built on land formerly owned by a drug lord. This is where the water slides, concrete dinosaurs, and alligators come in (see the main image of this article!).
But don’t expect popcorn, ice cream and laughter! “In a landscape where violence lurks beneath every surface, Tifa is drawn toward an inevitable confrontation,” warns the film’s synopsis.
“During my childhood, I often passed by this place known as Napoles, located in central Colombia. This place is located between Bogota and Medellin, and was a frequent stop on family trips,” Munera explains in press notes for meteor.
“Meteor” from Venice Critics Week
Courtesy of More Films
“At that time — in the late 1980s and early 1990s — there was a zoo there, and it was probably the first safari-style zoo in Colombia,” he adds. “I have many memories of those visits from my childhood. Years later, I began an academic research project on animals and cinema. During this period of research – during which I was working as a visual artist – I started visiting zoos, and naturally, I returned to the zoo where I had lived since my childhood, the site of those early, hazy memories.”
What did he find? “The zoo has been turned into an amusement park, while the government built a high-security prison nearby. While staying at a nearby hotel, I realized that guests included two families preparing to spend a sunny day at the park and women and children on their way to visit relatives in prison.” So much for inspiration!
meteor Stars Angela Cano, Luna Gaviria, Esteban Madrigal, Jesús Gutierrez, and Jaime Castaño.
Director Munira wrote the script for meteor With Martha Marquez. The film features cinematography by Arlene Muller and editing by Rodrigo Ramos Estrada. Producers for meteor They are Sebastian Martinez and Mauricio S. Burckhardt for Haus Kino, Valeria Mejía and Sebastián Munera for Entre Acto, Abel Vila Romero and Dimer Quintero Fertil for Archipiélago Sonoro, as well as Rodrigo Ramos for Pos(T) La Casa. MoreThan Films is handling international sales.
“meteor”
Courtesy of More Films
THR The first trailer can now be viewed exclusively for meteor. Watch it here – if you’re ready to go, that is!
