All about “La Jauría”, Colombian Film Awarded at Cannes

Colombian cinema is present at the most recent edition of the Cannes festival and wins an award. The film “La Jauría”, by director Andrés Ramírez Pulido, was recognized with the Critics' Week Grand Prize , a parallel section of the festival, focused on discovering new talents. This presents the first or second film by a filmmaker. Directors such as Jacques Audiard, González Iñarritu, Ken Loach, François Ozon or Wong Kar Wai have been awarded in this.

In “La Jauría” we follow a group of teenage criminals who are sent to an experimental rehabilitation center. The script was also the work of Andrés Ramírez Pulido.

What is "The Pack" about?

Pulido's film is set in a reformatory for young offenders, which is located somewhere in the Colombian jungle. The story portrays the weight of violence in the life journey of several boys. The synopsis for the film says:

“Eliú, a country boy, is imprisoned in an experimental center for minors in the heart of the Colombian rainforest, for a crime he committed with his friend El Mono. Every day, teenagers engage in strenuous manual labor and intense group therapy. One day, El Mono is transferred to the same center and brings with him a past from which Eliú tries to flee”.

The movie was filmed in Ibagué city.

The Director

Andrés Ramírez Pulido is a director, producer and screenwriter from Bogotá. He has been developing a quite promising film career. In 2016 he directed the short film “El Edén” , which was presented at the Berlin International Film Festival and received the award for best short at the Busan International Short Film Festival. In 2017 he directed the short film "Damiana" , which was selected in the Official Competition of the Cannes Film Festival . For his part, “La Jauría” is his first film.

“In line with my previous short films, 'El Eden' (Berlín) and 'Damiana' (Cannes), 'La Jauría' also addresses the importance of the father figure, abandonment, violence and the indelible mark it leaves on a son the absent father ” declared the director.

Read also: Cannes Film Festival 2022: 5 unmissable films that will compete for the Palme d'Or

Impressions and Reviews

Critically, the film has been praised for its atmosphere and ability to expose how violence has shaped the lives of the young characters in the film. The organizers of Critics' Week define "La Jauría" as "a dark, visceral, and captivating first feature film". They also note that this is " a powerful film about managing impulses and emotions".

Cineuropa's Fabien Lemercier defines the film as a “portrait of a young Colombian rural generation totally intoxicated and trapped in a spiral of violence,” noting that it reminds him of “La Ciénaga” by renowned Argentine director Lucrecia Martel.

For his part, Jonathan Holland of the Screendaily portal, expresses that "the film mixes a powerful atmosphere with elements of suspense and classic tragedy in a melancholy, disturbing ensemble, providing a fresh, sensitive and reflective look at the cinema of Latin American gang culture" .

For now, there is no scheduled release date, but it is expected to hit theaters this year. impacted by violent environments.