New York City-based Cinema Tropical announces the acquisition of the US theatrical rights for Fabián Hernández's acclaimed debut feature film Un varón (A Male), the thrilling and touching drama which had its world premiere at the Directors' Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival and has been selected as Colombia's official candidate for the 96th Academy Awards Best International Feature. The film will have a limited theatrical release starting Friday, December 8 at Cinema Village in New York City, followed by other cities.
Un varón centers around Carlos—newcomer Dylan Felipe Ramírez in a breakthrough performance—a young Colombian who lives in a youth shelter in the center of Bogota, a kind of refuge trying to mitigate the harshness of life. It's Christmas and Carlos longs to spend the day with his mother and sister, who are lost in the spiral of urban violence. As he leaves the shelter, Carlos is confronted with the rigor of the streets in his neighborhood, where the law of the strongest, the alpha 'macho,' rules. As he seeks for a family reunion, Carlos must show he can be one of them. While deep inside him, he must face decisions, contradicting these expressions of masculinity.
The deal was negotiated between Sébastien Chesneau, Partner, Acquisitions & Sales at the Dubai-based sales agency Cercamon and Carlos A. Gutiérrez, Executive Director of Cinema Tropical. "At Cinema Tropical we’re thrilled to be working with sales agent Cercamon, with director Fabián Hernández, and producer Manuel Ruiz Montealegre on the US theatrical release of Un varón" says Gutiérrez. "The film, elegantly directed, marks an auspicious debut by director Hernández."
"Un varón is a poignant exploration of toxic masculinity that resonates on a global scale. We at Cercamon are proud to have been a part of bringing Fabián Hernández's visionary work to a wider audience. The film's deep emotional core and outstanding performances are testament to the evolving landscape of Latin American cinema, and we are thrilled to see it gain the recognition it truly deserves in the US market," says Chesneau.
"For me, it is an honor and an immense pride that our film Un varón is representing Colombia at the Oscars. It reflects the rigorous and honest work with which we have made the film. It also represents the possibility that other points of view and other dissident cinemas from the hegemonic prototype, can open up possibilities to find new audiences" says director Hernández.
Cinema Tropical is the leading presenter of Latin American cinema in the United States. Founded in 2001 with the mission of distributing, programming and promoting what was to become the biggest boom of Latin American cinema in decades, Cinema Tropical brought U.S. audiences some of the first screening of films such as Amores Perros and Y Tu Mamá También. Past theatrical releases include Mariano Llinás’ Extraordinary Stories, Santiago Mitre’s El Estudiante, Mariana Rondón’s Pelo Malo, Martín Rejtman’s Two Shots Fired, Natalia Almada’s Everything Else, and Laura Herrero Garvín’s La Mami.
