Salvatierra
Date:
December 15, 2022
Salvatierra
Salvatierra
by Gabriele Licchelli and Santiago Raphael Priego
Epica Film | Italy
MFC Madrefoca Cine | Mexico
La Cabra Lagarto | Mexico
Broga Doite Film | Italy
Documentary | 1st feature
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Logline
Angel Salvatierra comes from a shark fishing community on the beach of Punta Lobos in Todos Santos, Mexico. However, he seeks a path other than the sea to escape the shadows of his loneliness, which draw him back to his addiction and violent past.
Synopsis
In Todos Santos, Mexico, a fishing community gathers daily on the beach of Punta Lobos to venture into the open sea in search of sharks. Gomita, El Tieso, Popeye, and Pedro are among the fishermen carrying on this tradition, passed down through generations and practiced by a close-knit group bound by a strong sense of solidarity and brotherhood. However, the community is also deeply affected by drug use and violence.
The largest family in the community is the Salvatierra family, to which Angel, a man in his fifties, belongs. Angel, however, seeks a different path in life, one far from the sea. Raised in an aggressive environment by a violent father, he channeled his anger and frustration into alcohol and crack. In turn, he perpetuated the same violence on his wife and three children, leaving home multiple times.
Over the years, Angel has tried to escape the grip of addiction and rebuild his life, but he has repeatedly fallen back into the depths of dependency. He found a new partner, Laura, who is trying to help him stay clean. Yet the shadows of loneliness and his visceral connection to the beach seem to draw him back toward the abyss.
The abyss—the space beneath the sea where the shark moves, both predator and prey—represents the unconscious realm of our characters in the world above. The deep blue reflects the dynamics of Angel and the fishermen, who are simultaneously perpetrators and victims within a complex interplay of personal choices and community dynamics.
Director’s Profile
SANTIAGO RAPHAEL PRIEGO (1996, Mexico) is a filmmaker and visual artist with a particular interest in non-fiction. He moved to Europe to develop his storytelling skills. He attended Scuola Holden, where he co-directed Arca Hotel, his diploma film, which was selected at Festival dei Popoli.
He then moved to London to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Media at Goldsmiths University. Over the past few years, he has embarked on numerous human experiences, seeking new stories and refining his artistic style. He is currently working as a freelance professional in Mexico City, taking on different roles in the directing department for commercials and TV series.
GABRIELE LICCHELLI (1993, Italy) is a director and editor. He comes from a small village in southern Italy and moved to Turin to complete his education in cinema studies at Scuola Holden. His diploma film, Arca Hotel, was selected at Festival dei Popoli.
In 2019, his short film Anche gli uomini hanno fame premiered at IDFA and went on to be selected at MakeDox, FEST, ShorTS, and MedFilm Festival. In 2021, he co-wrote IO|OI, a short dance film, which premiered at Torino Film Festival and was subsequently selected at Short Waves Festival, Aesthetica Film Festival. In 2022, he co-directed and edited Go, Friend, Go, which premiered at Festival dei Popoli and was selected for FESCAAAL, Crossing Europe, Festival Jean Rouch, among others. In 2024, he attended a workshop with Gianfranco Rosi at EICTV in Cuba.
Company Profile
Epica Film is a production company based in Piemonte, founded in 2014. Storytelling is at the core of their creative process. They produce documentaries and fiction, always seeking an experimental approach. Their films have been financed by regional and national funds and awarded at many international festivals. Epica Film developed the documentary “Aurora” by Giuseppe Bisceglia, distributed in Italy, the UK, and the USA through Amazon Prime Video until December 2023.
They produced the short film “MONO,” directed by Chiara Troisi, developed at the Biennale College Cinema of Venice – VR section. The short premiered at the Venice Film Festival — Venice Immersive in 2022, then screened at Filmmaker Milan (Best VR Short), NewImagines Festival in Paris, and Kaohsiung Film Festival XR. In 2022, Epica Film produced “Go, Friend, Go,” co-produced with Broga Doite (Italy), Brush & Bow (Great Britain), Border Violence Monitoring Network (Germany). and supported by the Piemonte Doc Film Fund. After its premiere at the 63rd Festival dei Popoli (winner of the Home Video Distribution Doc award), it was selected by the 32nd FESCAAAL (awarded Best Film in the E’xtra competition), Crossing Europe Film Festival in Linz, and Karama Human Rights Film Festival (Amman, Jordan). Epica Film also creates and supervises cinema training projects for Erasmus Plus and several Italian universities.