Contracorriente (2009)

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:

Peruvian | Ghost | Seaside | Fisherman | Hairy Chest

Awards:

4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Cristian Mercado	...	Miguel
Tatiana Astengo	...	Mariela
Manolo Cardona	...	Santiago
Atilia Boschetti	...	Sra La Rosa
José Chacaltana	...	Héctor
Maria Edelmira Palomino	...	Doña Flor
Julio Humberto Cavero	...	Padre Juan
Haydeé Cáceres	...	Trinidad
Emilran 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
Andrés Calderón	....	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	....	post-production audio
Daniel Garces Najar El Gato	....	sound designer
Daniel Garces Najar El Gato	....	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	....	assistant production coordinator
Ivan Suzzarini	....	technical director

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

Production Companies

• Elcalvo Films
• Dynamo Producciones
• 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" - France (imdb display title)
"Undertow" - International (English title)
"Contra Corrente" - Brazil (imdb display title)
"Contracorriente - controcorrente" - Italy (imdb display title)
"Nami ni nagasarete" - Japan
"Pod prad" - Poland (imdb display 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)

Poetic and passionate - A broke-back seafront

I saw this movie in a small festival in Bologna (Italy) last Saturday, never heard about it before so it happened to be a magnificent surprise. The movie is set in a seafront village in Peru, where a fisherman, Miguel (aka Mico) living with his pregnant wife, but in love with a city born painter-photographer, Santiago (Tiago).

Santiago kills himself drowning in the ocean, and returns as a ghost whom only Miguel can see. The film's better invention is the realisation that, for Miguel, having an invisible lover is a comfortable situation. He can finally living his relationship with Tiago without hiding himself, despite living in a small deeply catholic community where homosexuality is condemned as sin.

But unfortunately this situation doesn't last very long, and Miguel will face the hostility of his village revealing his relationship with Santiago and giving him a proper funeral ceremony.

The lead actors performances are astonishing and the small Peruvian village set is something you wouldn't easily forget.

Highly recommended.