Colombian Eco-Thriller Secures Latin American Distribution After Festival Wins

Yull Núñez is preparing to release a film that centers on the sacred lands of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia. The project, titled 'The Cry of Serankwa,' recently secured a major distribution deal with Cineplex for Latin American markets.

Cineplex acquired the rights to the Colombian and Latin American territories for the feature. The film is the second feature from Núñez, a Colombian filmmaker and actor. It competed in the WIP Iberoamericana section at the Santiago Film Festival, where it won three industry prizes from Sanfic Industria.

The festival ran from November 2 through November 8. Elba McAllister, a representative for Cineplex, said the company felt a connection to the script immediately. She noted that the film portrays the sacred territories of the Iku, Wiwa, Kogui, and Kankwamo communities. McAllister stated the story explores humanity's relationship with nature and the preservation of ancestral traditions.

The narrative follows two friends, Marcelo and Aníbal, from the Indigenous Iku tribe. They are training to become spiritual leaders known as Mamus to protect the earth from human destruction. Mining companies are specifically identified as a threat to their sacred lands. Aníbal eventually leaves for the city after failing to become a Mamu. He returns years later as an engineer for a mining firm, which jeopardizes his village and his friendship with Marcelo, who has become the guardian of the Sierra.

Núñez began writing the story in 2017. He is of Afro-Colombian descent and hails from Colombia's Caribbean coast. He told Variety that his father took him to visit the community when he was a child, creating deep ties. The production filmed for 40 days in Nabuzimake, a remote mountain village that is closed off to outsiders.

To prepare the mostly natural actors, Núñez held a three-month acting workshop. He also runs an audiovisual collective that has trained crew members over the last four years. The three Sanfic Industria prizes will help complete the film. The project received development support from the Desde la Raíz foundation, Lenguas Originarias in Lima, Peru, and the Regional Office of Colombia's Ministry of Culture.

Núñez produces the film alongside Daylín Vega of Cinequipos Prods. Environmental themes are central to his work, including his debut feature 'The Palafite's Silence,' which opens in Colombia on November 12. His third feature, 'The Mystery of the Guatapuri,' is currently in development and focuses on a shaman protecting a river from diversion for rice irrigation.