Days of Santiago

Colour, 35 mm
Peru, 2004, 83 min
Section: Horizons

Synopsis

Twenty-three-year-old soldier Santiago Román returns to Lima after spending six years fighting terrorists, the Peruvian drug mafia, and in a nationalist war against Ecuador. He´d now like to settle down and start a family. He belongs to a lost generation obliged to pay for the government´s mistakes. To Santiago, Lima seems unfriendly, chaotic and decaying, lacking in compassion. His family meaningfully reflects this hopeless situation. The war veteran decides to improve the situation so that he, his family and country may lead better lives. He tries to reacclimate himself to civilian life but tormenting memories allow him no peace. As an ex-soldier he is convinced that fighting will bring the desired results. The director commented: "They call wild the river that overflows, but not the fucker who oppresses it. I have had an opportunity to meet the real-life Santiago, a young Peruvian ex-soldier. He made me aware of the terrible indifference of my government and my society towards people who believed in their country."

About the director

Josué Méndez (b. 1976, Lima) graduated from Yale University (1998). He shot three short films based on his own scripts which were screened at various festivals, including Oberhausen, Tampere, Sao Paulo, Huesca and Bilbao: Only Good Friends (Solo buenos amigos, 1997), Dreams and Other Adagios (1998) and Parelisa (1999, Casa de America Award at the Huesca FF for best new director). He has also edited others´ features: Bala perdida (2001, dir. by Aldo Salvini), Páramo (2003) and Con Game (Doble juego, 2004, dir. by Alberto Durant). In addition, he has worked on a number of documentaries, commercials, and theatre and television projects for both Peruvian and foreign producers. Days of Santiago (Días de Santiago, 2004) is his feature debut.