The Landscapes That You Seek

When the spirits whisper, will you have the courage to listen?

Project type: Fiction Feature
Project status: Production
Director: Juanita Onzaga
Producer: Jorge Forero
Cinematographer: Angello Faccini

Email:
jorge@marginal.com.co

 
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Logline

After her best friend’s death, Laura embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about her missing brother. Guided by intuition and the women she meets, Laura embarks on a physical and metaphysical journey through cities, mountains, and jungles, uncovering hidden aspects of reality and confronting secrets and spirits that inhabit those lands.

Synopsis

In Bogotá, Laura (25) finds herself at a dazzling and surreal funeral party of her deceased best friend. The night after, Laura sees the spirit of her best friend.

Shocked yet intrigued, Laura asks her grandmother, who reveals a female gift: some women in their lineage can see the spirits of loved ones after they pass. But Laura has never seen the spirit of her brother Camilo, who disappeared ten years ago. Could this mean he’s still alive?

Driven by this possibility, Laura decides to reopen the investigation into her brother’s mysterious disappearance. During a pre-Christmas gathering at her grandmother’s house, Laura’s cousin Javier reveals he once searched for Camilo in the jungle where he vanished. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura convinces Javier to guide her on a journey through Colombia’s dense mountains.

Their quest leads them into ghostly villages and encounters with peculiar locals, their stories blending seamlessly into the mesmerizing landscapes. Eventually, they arrive in San Benito, a remote jungle village shrouded in a mystical atmosphere. Here, Laura uncovers a harrowing truth.

From this moment on, Laura embarks on a solitary journey through the jungle, allowing herself to undertake a metaphysical voyage that will lead her to reunite with her brother one last time.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Juanita Onzaga — Director
Juanita Onzaga (1991) is a Colombian filmmaker and visual artist based between Brussels and Bogotá.

Her first short film The Jungle Knows You Better Than You Do premiered at the Berlinale Generation 2017 where it won the jury prize for best short film.

Her second short film Our Song to War premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2018.

Her most recent short film Tomorrow is a Water Palace premiered at Rotterdam 2022.

Floating with Spirits, a mid-length Virtual Reality experience premiered in the Venice Immersive competition of La Biennale, Venice 2023.

Jorge Forero — Producer
Jorge Forero is a Colombian filmmaker and founder of Marginal Cine and Burning Blue.

With Marginal Cine, Forero has co-produced Diòba (Ann Arbor 2023), produced Dreams Travel With The Wind (Sheffield Doc/Fest 2024), and produced and directed Matryoshka (Shanghai 2024).

With Burning Blue, he produced Land and Shade (Camera d’Or – Cannes 2015), and The Sacrifice (Warsaw 2017).

He is also Executive Producer of Sundowners and Associate Producer of The Fungi (Locarno 2014). He has co-produced the feature films Buy me a gun (Cannes 2018); Jesus (San Sebastian 2016); Sheltered (Cannes 2014); and Climas (Warsaw 2014).

Angello Faccini — Cinematographer
Angello was born in Bogotá, Colombia. He works as a filmmaker and cinematographer who actively balance narrative, documentary, and commercial work.

As a feature film cinematographer, he has made Lapü (Berlinale 2019), Milestone (Venice 2020), Los Casi Ídolos de Bahía Colorada (Netflix 2023), Carro Parajero (Visions du Réel 2024) and As Silence Passes By ( San Sebastian 2023)

In 2024 he shot The Anatomy of Horses (Peruvian-Spanish co-production 2023)

As a director, his short film Dulce (2018) released by NYT Op-Docs was selected in Sundance, Toronto, and IDFA, among other film festivals, and won Best Documentary at Palm Springs Film Fest.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.