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First Feature Film Set Against Operation Condor the CIA-backed Campaign of Torture in South America. Stars Damián Alcázar
“Forces contemporary audiences to confront the roots of today’s politics and to remember atrocities such as the theft of thousands of children from their families.”
– Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times
DVD, BLU-RAY and DOWNLOAD TO OWN Dec. 1
HBO LATIN & HBO GO Mid-December
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LOS ANGELES, CA (November 2, 2015) Following theatrical runs in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego and Washington DC, Olvidados, the Bolivian Official Entry to the Foreign Language Film category for the 87th Academy Awards, will be released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Download-to-own options on December 1st and then will air on HBO Latino/HBO NOW starting in mid-December.
Produced by Carla Ortiz, a Bolivian actress and humanitarian known for her roles in Los Andes no creen en Dios and The Man Who Shook The Hand of Vicente Hernandez, her first film is an epic, historical feature that tackles the dark past of Latin America under military dictatorships in the 70s. Directed by Mexico’s Carlos Bolado and starring Damián Alcázar, the film has been programmed as a gala screening or as an official selection at festivals in Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and the U.S. It earned six Platino nominations and recently won 4 Maya Awards for Best Film, Best Actor (Christian Mercado), Best Actress (Carla Ortiz), and Best Philanthropic Work done by a Celebrity (Carla Ortiz).
Filmed in Chile, Bolivia, and New York, Olvidados is the biggest budget production to come out of Bolivia, a country with a nascent film industry. Renowned actors from five countries appear in this international production, the first film to specifically address the horrors perpetrated under Operation Condor, a CIA-backed plan introduced by Richard Nixon’s Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, which was responsible for: 50,000 killed; 30,000 “disappeared”; and 400,000 arrested and imprisoned in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Mexican actor Damián Alcázar, best known in the U.S. for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspianand El Narco, stars in the role of a man in his 40s and then later in his 80s. He is the recipient of 8 Ariels (Mexican Oscars) for acting. The international cast includes: Rafael Ferro, Carla Ortiz, Tomás Fonzi, Christian Mercado, Ana Calentano and Bernardo Pena.
SYNOPSIS: After suffering a heart attack, retired General José Mendieta (Damián Alcázar) is haunted by his dark past as an officer in Operation Condor, the CIA-backed campaign of political repression in Latin America that was responsible for executions, torture, and imprisonments in the 1970’s. It is estimated that over 400,000 people were imprisoned and 30,000 forcibly disappeared as a result of these government actions.
In a letter to his son Pablo (Bernardo Peña), Mendieta confesses the role he played in the abduction, persecution, and execution of countless men and women during his posting to Chile. Journalist Marco (Carlotto Cotta) and his pregnant wife Luciá (Carla Ortiz) are among those who were arrested, along with their activist friend Antonio (Tomás Fonzi) and revolutionary Andrea (Ana Calentano). They suffer terribly under Mendieta and his cohort Sanera (Rafael Ferro), which leads to a cascade of betrayals, secrets, and stolen lives that spans generations.
Mexican director Carlos Bolado has directed several feature films including Bajo California: El limite del tiempo (1999), Solo Dios Sabe (2006), and Colosio, El asesinato (2012). His first feature, Bajo California: El limite del tiempo, received numerous awards (including 9 Ariels). As co-director his documentary film Promises, was nominated for an Oscar ®. He is also an award-winning editor on films such as Solo Dios Sabe (Only God Knows), Como Agua para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate), Cronica de un Desayuno (A Breakfast Chronicle) and Novia que te vea (Bride to Be) and has been editing advisor for several films such as Amores Perros, The Sentimental Engine Slayer, and Instructions Not Included. He is a fellow of the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation.
Olvidados (Forgotten) was developed from an original script and investigations by Mauricio D’Avis with the final screenplay credited to Elia Petridis and Ortiz. Frank Giustra, founder of Lionsgate, served as Executive Producer with additional financial support from the Bolivian Minister of Culture, the country’s five state governors, seven city mayors, as well as the Commander-In-Chief of the military.
It is the highest-grossing film in Bolivia, of the last seven years.
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CINEMA LIBRE STUDIO presents a FLOR DE LOTO PICTURES SRL production of a CARLOS BOLADO film “OLVIDADOS”
DAMIÁN ALCÁZAR RAFAEL FERRO CARLA ORTIZ TOMÁS FONZI ANA CELENTANO EDUARDO PAXECO CARLOTO COTTA GUILLERMO PFENING MANUELA MARTELLI
casting by WENDY ALCÁZAR original score by RUY FOLGUERA costumes by PILAR GROUX
edited by JUAN PALACIO CAMILO ABADIA CARLOS BOLADO production designer MARTA MÉNDEZ & SERAPIO TOLA
director of photography ERNESTO FERNÁNDEZ line producer PAOLO AGAZZI
executive producer FRANK GIUSTRA produced by CARLA ORTIZ
screenplay by ELIA PETRIDIS & CARLA ORTIZ and MAURICIO D’AVIS directed by CARLOS BOLADO
In Spanish with English subtitles | No Rating | HR | 112 minutes
RELEASE DETAILS:
DVD & BLURAY
Blu-ray ™: Catalog #: CLS1220, UPC: 881394122024, SRP: $24.95
DVD: Catalog #:CLS1219, UPC: 881394121928, SRP: $19.95
Genre: Drama
Run Time: 112 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Format: 1080P
Aspect Ratio: 16×9
Audio: 5.1
Language: Spanish with English subtitles
Blu-ray ™ Bonus Features:
Trailers
Photo Gallery
Featurettes – Making of Olvidados with Producer/Actress Carla Ortiz
- Finding the Story
- Production
- Collaborating with the Artists
- Post-Production
- The Film’s Impact
Closed Captions
Interactive Menus
DVD Bonus Features:
Trailers
Featurettes – Making of Olvidados with Producer/Actress Carla Ortiz
Closed Captions
Interactive Menus
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