Many followers of Narco Stories are familiar with the bestselling book "El Cartel de los Sapos" (The Cartel of the Toads), Sapo is also Colombian slang for snitch. The book by author Andrés López, a former drug dealer, is in fact López true story, one of love, betrayal, and redemption of a cocaine entrepreneur, as dramatic as the TV series it inspired.
Depicted in books, TV series and movies, drug lords who once terrorized Colombia have become objects of fascination in Latin American countries. Pablo Escobar, for instance, has become more popular than ever, a kind of popular myth in books such as News of a kidnapping by literature Nobel prize winner Gabriel García Márquez, Killing Pablo Escobar by American author Mark Robert Bowden, and the new Telemundo TV series "El Patrón del Mal" (The Evil Patron).
"El Cartel de los Sapos," will represent Colombia at the Oscars as "Best Foreign Language Film," announced the Colombian Academy of Arts and Cinematographic Sciences. The movie, filmed in Colombia, New York, Miami and Mexico, has Manolo Cardona as its protagonist playing Martín González. According to Filmaffinity, the movie recommendations website, "Martín González is a lower class young man who discovers the world of drug trafficking in the way to upward mobility fundamentally to win the love of Sophia, a good girl, a priori unattainable, which is his love since childhood.
His boldness, unconsciousness and youth led him to become active and vital part of the dangerous "Cartel Norte del Valle", a criminal organization that defines itself as a bloodthirsty and powerful device that overcame the Cali Cartel in cunning military power of corruption and economic strength."
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According to Laura García, president of the Colombian academy, "'El Cartel de los Sapos' represents a cinematic trend that takes into account the huge global industry: solid argument, clear turnover, impeccable direction and performances beyond the ordinary."
For García, this movie is "a product of universal aroma" and for Diego F. Ramírez, producer of the film, the possibility of being nominated to an Oscar is a great opportunity.
"It's a window to the world that allows us to showcase the best of our talent and the emerging capacity to create a cultural and industrial fabric around Colombian cinematography," said Ramírez.
"El Cartel de los Sapos" was directed by Carlos Moreno and produced by the same protagonist, Manolo Cardona. Carlos Moreno is also the director7co-screenwriter of the film "Perro come perro" (Dog eat Dog), a wild ride through the brutal Colombian underworld, and Moreno's entry into the Sundance Film Festival in 2008.
The Hollywood Academy will choose the best foreign language film out of movies coming from over 60 countries in the Oscars' 85th edition on February 24.
In the last 32 years Colombia has been nominated 20 times in that category.
Translation:Karen.balderas@sandiegored.com
