Canadian Premiere
In the arid desert of southern Spain, a labourer and recovering alcoholic, Eladio, with his beloved wife and young son, takes residence as the gamekeeper of a rural ranch. Three years into his tenure the family is on the brink of destitution. Forced to take a bribe to make ends meet, Eladio lets a hunting party make an unsafe hunt, and pays the a terrible price. Wracked with guilt, Eladio’s world begins to deteriorate as the debt comes due on his bargain. Director F. Javier Gutierrez brings his horror muscle to bear on what is fundamentally a rich character study and a felt tragedy. Sun-blistered cinematography, and the uneasy emptiness of the scorched Spanish country fuse elements of westerns, thrillers, visceral body horror, and psychological drama into a fresh Faustian folk tale.
Series Media Partner
Víctor Clavijo, Ruth Díaz, Moisés Ruiz, Manuel Morón, Antonio Estrada
Spain
2023
Altered States
In Spanish with English subtitles
Graphic Violence, Self Harm, Drug & Alcohol Abuse
At International Village
At The Rio
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
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Credits
Producer
Adrián Guerra, Antonio P. Pérez, F. Javier Gutiérrez
Screenwriter
F. Javier Gutierrez
Cinematography
Miguel A. Mora
Editor
F. Javier Gutierrez
Production Design
F. Javier Gutierrez
Original Music
Zeltia Montes
Director
F. Javier Gutierrez
F. Javier Gutierrez is an award-winning filmmaker whose filmography crosses genres of horror, sci-fi and thriller. Before the Fall, Javier’s first feature, premiered in the the Berlin Film Festival. Rings, the third installment of The Ring franchise, opened #2 in the US box office and grossed $83M worldwide. Javier is member of the Directors Guild of America, and the European Film Academy, and serves as President of DR. T Producciones (Spain), and Unfiled Films (USA).
Filmography: Before the Fall (2008); Rings (2017)
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