Undertow (2009 film)
A fisherman's secret love and a ghost's request.
Undertow (Spanish: *Contracorriente*) is a 2009 fantasy romantic drama film that marked the directorial debut of Javier Fuentes-León, who also wrote and produced it. Filmed in Cabo Blanco, Peru, the movie received its initial funding from Germany and France, with additional support from Peru. At the 26th Sundance Film Festival, it won the World Cinema Audience Award in the Dramatic category, and it went on to earn audience awards at festivals in Cartagena, Montreal, Miami, Chicago, Utrecht, Lima, and Galway, as well as jury prizes in Madrid, San Francisco, Seattle, Toulouse, and Philadelphia. It was also nominated for Best Latin American Film at the 2011 Goya Awards in Spain. Peru submitted the film for consideration for Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards, but it did not make the final shortlist.
The story follows Miguel, a young fisherman in the small Peruvian village of Cabo Blanco, where traditions around death are strong. He is married to Mariela, who is pregnant with their first son, but secretly carries on an affair with a male painter named Santiago, meeting him in a deserted cave along the coast. When Santiago accidentally drowns at sea, his ghost returns to ask Miguel to find his body so it can be buried according to village rituals. Miguel locates the body in the water but keeps the discovery from the ghost. Meanwhile, villagers find nude paintings of Miguel in Santiago’s house, sparking rumors of an affair. Mariela hears the gossip, confronts Miguel, and after he confesses, she leaves with their newborn child to stay at her mother’s house. Miguel goes back to retrieve Santiago’s body but finds it has been carried away by the current. Mariela eventually returns home, but then Santiago’s body turns up in a fishing boat’s nets. Miguel claims it for a burial at sea, as his lover wanted. He takes the shrouded body out to sea, and just after it is committed to the waves, Santiago’s ghost appears one last time, caressing Miguel, who then returns home alone at sundown.
The cast includes Cristian Mercado as Miguel, Manolo Cardona as Santiago, and Tatiana Astengo as Mariela.
The film had been in development since 1996, when Fuentes-León wrote the first scene.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Javier Fuentes-León
- Starring
- Cristian Mercado / Manolo Cardona / Tatiana Astengo
- Music
- Selma Mutal
- Cinematography
- Mauricio Vidal
- Editing
- Roberto Benavides
- Released
- 23 September 2009 · Zinemaldia · 2010 · 4 · 16 · Colombia · 2010 · 8 · 26 · Peru
- Runtime
- 100 minutes
- Country
- Peru / Colombia / France / Germany
- Language
- Spanish
- Gross
- $501,256
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film follows Miguel, a young fisherman in the village of Cabo Blanco, Peru, who is married to the pregnant Mariela but secretly has an affair with a male painter named Santiago. After Santiago accidentally drowns, his ghost returns to ask Miguel to find his body and bury it according to local rituals. Miguel discovers the body but delays telling the ghost, while villagers find nude paintings of Miguel at Santiago's house, sparking rumors of the affair. Mariela confronts Miguel, he confesses, and she leaves with their newborn child. Eventually, Santiago's body appears in a fishing net, and Miguel gives it a burial at sea as his lover wished, after which the ghost appears one last time to caress him before Miguel returns home alone.
Reader's Guide
Undertow is significant as a Peruvian fantasy romantic drama that gained international recognition, particularly for winning the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was selected as Peru's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards, though it did not reach the final shortlist. Its production began in 1996 when director Javier Fuentes-León wrote the first scene, originally conceived as a supernatural revenge thriller about a fisherman and a prostitute, but he changed the story after coming out himself to explore more complex themes. The film received positive reviews, with 88% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes giving it a positive rating. Critics praised its handling of relationships and its blend of supernatural elements with a human story. The film also earned nominations for a GLAAD Media Award and a Goya Award for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film, and won several audience and jury awards at festivals worldwide.
Did You Know?
- The film was originally conceived as a supernatural revenge thriller about a fisherman having an affair with a prostitute before the director changed it after coming out of the closet.
- It was selected as the Peruvian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards but did not make the final shortlist.
- The film won the World Cinema Audience Award in the Dramatic category at the 26th Sundance Film Festival.
- Initial financing came from Germany and France with additional financing from Peru.
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