“Manco Cápac”: Film representing Peru at the Oscars opens on December 9

“Lame Cap”, the Puno film that represents Peru in the race for the Oscar for Best International Film, will hit national cinemas on Thursday, December 9. The film will finally be able to be seen by the Peruvian public after having been awarded by the 24 Lima Film Festival 2020 (Best Actor Award) and by the Peruvian Association of Cinematographic Press APRECI 2020 (Best Peruvian Film, Best Actor and Best Screenplay) and after a successful visit to international festivals such as the Tokyo Lift Off Festival (Japan), Global Migration Film Festival (Switzerland), Latin American Film Festival of La Plata (Argentina), 30 Festival Biarritz Amérique Latine (France).

The feature film directed by Henry Vallejo tells the story of Elisbán (Jesús Luque), a young man who does not give up easily, who avoids aggression and does not waste time complaining or lamenting those who casually underestimate him. He always handles himself with dignity and the little jobs he gets are just stepping stones to unleashing his true potential.

This is a story that dispenses with all sensationalism in its theme and seeks to pay tribute to the Incas with a current story. It is a minimalist film that tells us how hostile a city can be through characters who are not antagonistic, but who make Elisbán stagger for the simple fact of living and fulfilling his obligations.

It took the director more than ten years to make the film, from a long process of conception of the script, to get the means to finance the film (which included the sale of a property in Cusco) and it lasted until he found the actor who plays Elisbán.

The visual proposal is raised with sequence shots in almost all of its scenes, which seek to accompany the protagonist, always moving the camera with a purpose, following the constant path that Elisbán makes.

The film dispenses with incidental music and compiles that which surrounds the protagonist, creating an immersive atmosphere that takes advantage of the color, the crowd and the solitude. It should be noted that the filming of “Manco Cápac” was made entirely in the city of Puno and its surroundings.