From the deep jungle of Vaupés to the snowy, alpine terrain of El Cocuy, Colombia is a nation of stunning geographic diversity. So why don’t they make more road movies? Granted there have been a handful — some of which have been showcased in important international competitions — but now we can go ahead and add an English-language production into the mix. Bastards y Diablos is the latest project from screenwriter, actor, and Executive Producer Andrew Perez, whose own Colombian roots inspired him to make a film that showed a side of Colombia most American audiences aren’t accustomed to seeing.
According to Perez, the country’s breathtaking landscapes and passionate, hospitable people were his inspiration for making the film, and it was a casual conversation with close friend and co-star Dillon Porter that led to him write the story of two estranged, half-Colombian brothers reuniting after the tragic loss of their father. Unfamiliar with their patriarch’s Colombian homeland, the two brothers comply with their father’s dying wishes as they travel across the country retracing his youth, reconnecting with each other and their father’s country along the way.
Also a close friend and collaborator of Perez, director A.D. Freese guided the story as the small crew made their way through precarious conditions, and the production’s guerrilla spirit is imprinted on every shot. Throughout, the camera frames the two brothers side by side, putting the dramatic weight of the film on the actor’s chemistry and letting the country’s diverse landscapes essentially speak for themselves. Flashbacks to their father’s life tend toward a desaturated, sepia-toned aesthetic to drive home the nostalgia, while a voiceover narration reminiscent of a Colombian “most interesting man in the world” relays the father’s dying wishes. In the end there’s a lot of hugging, dancing, and tears, but what stands out most about Bastards y Diablos is its sense of adventure and awe.
Remezcla will be presenting a screening of Bastards y Diablos at the L.A. Film Festival this Sunday, June 14. Enter here to win a free pair of tickets.