Fantasia Presents “Legions” as Coruya Cine on Board “The Sugar Girl”

Argentinian production company Coruya Cine (“Nocturna: Side A”), headed by Javier Díaz, has signed on to produce “The Sugar Girl” (“La Niña Del Azúcar”) with Peru’s AV Films (“Juego Siniestro”). . Filmed in the remote and sprawling city of Iquitos, the project will use an Amazonian cine-noir aesthetic to fuse the suspenseful and metaphysical components of four parallel narratives.

“Space is given to tell the stories of others. It’s not always the narco, it’s also the one who lives in the jungle and takes another look at Latin America and who we are. It used to seem that Europeans were the only ones who could talk about the human condition. Latin America also has stories to tell,” said Díaz diversity.

‘The Sugar Girl’ writer-director Javier Velásquez Varela will lead a mix of Peruvian and Argentinian talent as they uncover the mysterious facts surrounding a missing woman amid supernatural events that shatter local mystique in a chaos of criminal terror touch the devastated city.

The film, previously presented at the Sanfic Morbido Lab, joined five other projects before a jury that included acclaimed Spanish horror legend Paco Plaza.

Díaz, whose focus oscillates between documentary and genre cinema, took part diversity on the breadth of Coruya Board’s genre projects and the care it takes to pull them off: “Each film is a different universe. Each film has its own behavior. They are like organisms, organisms that get sick, heal, shrink, grow. But well, you make sure that it lives, that it can finish. The way I see it, everything is very organic.”

He continued, “I like films that use the artistic risk of this genre to address societal issues, not simply films based on fear mongering, but elevated horror films that take the audience into account.”

“Legions” goes to Fantasia

To further cement the place of South American genre cinema in the world market, Díaz sees another Coruya production, Fabián Forte’s (“Mala Carne”) “Legions” (“Cosa e Mandinga”), heading to Montreal’s Fantasia Festival.

Guido Rud’s FilmSharks has secured the distribution rights and expects strong market interest following its upcoming North American debut.

Drawing on ancestral lore, belief in inheritance and complicated family dynamics, the film follows protagonist Antonio Poyju (Germán de Silva) as he recounts his fantastical past as a shaman to fellow residents of a mental institution.

The troupe prepares to stage a play of events as long-held evil spills to the surface. A brutal and semi-hilarious narrative unfolds as an estranged father and his daughter Helena (Lorena Vega) honor their past to ensure their future.

Forte, who is credited with being an integral part of the revival of Argentina’s horror scene, spoke diversity ahead of the screening on the connection to culture, the circle of Argentine genre cinema and the search for a kindred spirit in Díaz.

The film tells the story of the departure from heritage in favor of modern convenience. Do you think humanity has strayed too far from its roots?

I am convinced. The capitalist system leads us to completely cut ourselves off from our roots. There are a few cultures and peoples who oppose current politics, the prevailing world systems, but they are a minority. We slowly lose who we are and find ourselves again when we are lucky enough to achieve that. It is a very personal task that becomes arduous in a world leading to separation. It takes a strong belief to be born again and to change one’s mind and habits.

Can you talk about the pros and cons of making genre films in Argentina?

Argentine genre cinema is growing significantly because of the talent of its creators and their adaptability, more than because of the films’ budgets. We create projects that compete at major international horror film festivals despite low budgets and major financial problems. Our country is in a crisis that is severely affecting culture. We need co-productions to be able to do filming.

We must adapt to tell stories within the economic panorama that we have. This adjustment means that sometimes great products are lost. We are faced with the difficult task of keeping up on the market and with little money.

What I really value is the independence that the creative writing decisions are in my hands, or in this case Javier’s. We are not tied to big production companies that make demands on the audience, the market.

How important is it to find the right producer?

Finding someone with a similar vision who believes in your story and defends the project is complex and extremely important. Javier Díaz has always believed in the story, in every artistic choice made during development. Producing in our country is the job of titans, the stakes are high. I understand the courage it takes to produce a genre film. It requires different effects, makeup, VFX, post-time that other genres don’t have. It is necessary to have a production partner who knows what film you have in mind and will risk everything for that vision.