“Two young Venezuelans from different social and economic classes, who are united by a historical coincidence: both were born on the night of February 4, 1992, when Hugo Chavez emerged into the public arena with an attempted coup d’état that changed the course of his country’s history,” reads the film’s synopsis.
The film stars Naomi de Oliveira, Mauricio Celimn, Augusto Nitti, Jeska Ruiz, Daifra Blanco and Edmary Fuentes.
Although its producers say the plot is not intended to take sides, it does shed light on how Venezuelan society has been divided since former President Hugo Chavez came to power.
Film development
The intention to make the film arose during the COVID-19 lockdown, after Mogollón’s father was diagnosed with cancer.
“It was like the need to keep one’s mind occupied. Aumary Mogollon, who is the producer of the film, had a father who was sick with cancer. That’s where the idea of getting the script for the film began, to tell the world what had happened in Venezuela,” Perilla, who is the partner and partner of the producer, told DIARIO LAS AMRICAS.
After having the script and the actors who would bring the story to life ready, the team set about plotting the route to make filming possible.
The film was shot in more than 20 locations, mostly in Venezuela, but also in some towns in Colombia.
The challenges were many, especially achieving shots that took place at the end of the 20th century without leaking any images of a person wearing a face mask; as well as filming scenes of protests and social conflicts without the Venezuelan authorities imposing restrictions or condemning the team.
“It’s a film that has period scenes: from 1992, 2005, 2007, etc. It was very difficult because when we were going to record, we couldn’t open the shot because someone with a face mask could walk by. From that point on, the difficulty was high,” Wandda recalled.
“In addition to that, we know that in Venezuela any type of filming that may have a political context can be problematic. Although our film does not have a political tone, it does tell a story in the midst of political and social events, but that is not the main objective. It was difficult. We did not know how the government would interpret the fact that we were filming a movie that had archive images, in addition to our own images recreating demonstrations. This made our adrenaline levels high. We were afraid that it would be misinterpreted by the government and that the team would suffer some consequences,” he added.
However, during filming the production did not face any incident that delayed its development.
The executive producer stressed that it was important to the team that the film be authentic, so they decided to recreate the social conflicts in Venezuela.
“The scenes shot in Cali, Colombia, are scenes from the end. Everything that represented complexity was shot in Venezuela, which is why we feel that the film has so much value because it is a Venezuelan film, shot in Venezuela. This gives it an additional plus and in some way a recognition because it was a risky thing for the team that took on the challenge and carried it out with pride.”
Impact
There were many elements that transcended in each of the people who participated in the development of the story.
From producer Amaury Mogollón, who returned to his home in the Antmano sector of Caracas after the death of his father to film some scenes; to the young actors, who revived some protests and the shortage of basic food products.
“That was nice because it affects everyone at different times. It was very emotional and hard. At the end of the script reading, many people cried, others felt angry. And that allowed them to connect with the story.”
The film has been present at important international film festivals, such as the Venezuelan Film Hub – March Du Film in Cannes 2022, the Cine Tech Future Fest Festival, Poland 2024, and the Chicago Latino Film Festival 2024.
“It was nice because there were many Venezuelan films. It was enriching to see how they all try to recreate specific moments of Venezuelan events. Our film has a historical focus, and let’s say that capturing 25 years of Venezuelan history in a one-hour-and-fifty-minute film is difficult.”
He also noted that the film’s message is different for each person and the timeline has allowed foreigners to understand the complexities of the country’s history.
“Everyone will get what they deserve. That’s what makes us different, and they know the complexity of this and it makes it so interesting. It also allows people who don’t know the context to have a vision. It has been well received. The fact that people who are not Venezuelan or Latin American have understood the film has been valuable.”
Projection in the USA, Europe and Venezuela
To date, the film has not received certification to be screened in Venezuelan movie theaters, which led the producers to go on an international tour to have the film shown at special screenings.
“We are aware that we have a delay in certification in Venezuela, which is not normal. We have been requesting permission for more than 11 months. We understand the context: we are in the midst of elections and we know that it can be an uncomfortable film. Fighting with that is complicated, but it does not stop us and that is why we started the international tour. But we have faith that they will not give it. And if not, we will continue sending each requirement that is requested. We have everything in order, and it is financed with our own resources.”
In the United States, it can be seen in Miami, on July 10 in Austin, Texas; on Friday, July 12 in Los Angeles; and on July 14, back in Texas, in Dallas.
There are also dates scheduled for Europe, specifically in Spain in the cities of Barcelona, Tenerife, Vigo and Madrid. “We start the tour in Colombia, then we go to the United States and Spain. It is a packed tour. On social media we were asked where the film would be shown, and we organized it while we managed to get into a digital platform.”
Wandda said it is a source of pride to see how far she has come. yes and they hope that Children of the Revolution can follow in their footsteps.
“It’s important that people who see the film talk about it. It’s the way we become visible to platforms like Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime. It’s the only way they’ll find it attractive to have us. Make noise with our film,” he said.
Finally, he invited people to attend the film screenings and support Venezuelan cinema.
“It’s a Venezuelan film made for the world, especially for Latin America. Precisely because we have to learn from our mistakes so as not to repeat them, and we believe that this will allow us to be aware of what can happen to us. It’s a master class on something that happened and will teach us a lot, but also through the universal language of love. Go and support Venezuelan cinema and enjoy good cinema and see that we are crossing borders.”