Dias de Santiago (Days of Santiago)
Peru, 2004, 83 min. Directed by Josué Méndez

Selected by over 80 Film Festivals worldwide and winning no less than a dozen prestigious awards, Josué Méndez´s extraordinary debut explores the tragic impossibility of a war veteran to re-integrate into civilian life. 23-year old Santiago (Pietro Sibille, in a “volcanic performance,” Variety) returns home, weary from years of jungle fighting, searching for hope. But his native Lima has become a less than welcoming place.

Unable to get a job or credit, or afford an education, misunderstood by his family, wife and friends whom he finds decadent and distant, Santiago’s estrangement from an increasingly hostile and chaotic world deepens, as his anger and frustration rise.

Through a powerful and original style of narration, Méndez vividly examines the effects of war upon those who carry it out. While the suppressed rage of Sibille´s Santiago Roman may recall DeNiro´s Travis Bickle, Sibille manages to push the envelope, eliciting sympathy for a complex character that walks the line between chilling hostility and great humanity.

“Dias de Santiago leaves you wondering what its promising director will do next.” — Nathan Lee, The New York Times

“Fans of Latin American cinema won't want to miss this” — Salon.com

“Pietro Sibille is exceptional as Santiago” — New York Post

“Mendez's taut film about a veteran unable to adjust to civilian life stands on its own chilling merits” — Time Out New York

“Elegantly directed” — Cahiers du Cinéma

Peru's official entry - 2006 Academy Awards/Best Foreign Film
Best Actor - Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema 2004
FIPRESCI Prize and Grand Prix- Fribourg International Film Festival 2004
Best Actor and Critics Award - Lima Latin American Film Festival 2004
Nominated for Tiger Award - Rotterdam International Film Festival 2004
Transylvania Trophy - Transylvania International Film Festival 2004
Nominated for Golden Spike - Valladolid International Film Festival 2004

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