“Death Has No Master,” a Venezuelan thriller starring Paz Vega and directed by Jorge Thielen Armando, has producers looking to secure the last 30% of the film’s $1.2 million budget. Therefore, we participate in TIFFCOM’s Tokyo Gap Financing Market.
The film, previously in the Venice Production Bridge’s Gap Financing Market and in which Vega plays a woman returning to Venezuela after 20 years to sell her family’s cocoa farm, recently began filming. Moved location to Colombia. The story follows her character, Carolina, as she comes into conflict with the former workers who have occupied her land, leading to a dangerous power struggle and forcing her to confront both her past trauma from her kidnapping and her own violent impulses. I’m drawing.
The project is Armand’s third feature film, following the critically acclaimed films La Soledad and La Fortaleza. “My films are a means of investigating the fractured identity of Venezuelans today. I hope that the pieces of the puzzle will become a solid foundation, providing an image without cracks that will stand the test of time and distance.” “Armando told Variety. “I have been abroad for more than a decade, but the violence in Venezuela continues to haunt me every day. “Death Has No Master” continues some themes from my previous work, but this The film is told from the perspective of a woman who has been in exile for 20 years. She is filled with conflicting emotions of disenfranchisement, anger, and at the same time a longing for a place she can call her own. It’s something that all Venezuelans know all too well after eight million people left the country, and this is what I try to express in this film.”
The director aims to explore the effects of corruption and class warfare in modern-day Venezuela. “I want people to think about how a corrupt legal system creates a cycle of violence through the metaphor of a fight over a home,” Armando says. “What can we expect from a generation that grows up in such an abyss of violence? In a country where everything is broken and the drain is unstoppable, who deserves what? My film is It won’t provide answers, but it will explore such questions.”
Stefano Centini, a producer at Volos Films Italia, was drawn to Armando’s unique approach to South American themes. “Jorge’s previous works have proven his talent as a filmmaker and his ability to speak about broader themes such as identity and politics from the perspective of everyday life,” said former Chilean film director Felipe Gálvez. said director Centini, who produced the Cannes-winning film “The Settlers.” “He has lived in various countries, including Italy, so he has enough experience to be able to tell the stories of his homeland that can reach a wider audience,” Centini added.
Filming is scheduled for mid-2025, with the team aiming for a festival premiere in 2026. In Tokyo, producers are not only filling the remaining funding gap, but also exploring distribution opportunities. Centini sees potential in a recent co-production agreement between Japan and Italy, pointing to the experience with “The Settlers,” where Taiwan provided critical last-mile funding and creative talent. Centini also operates Taiwan-based Volos Films.
“We look forward to Asia once again being an unexpected new partner on this journey,” Centini said.
Armando is currently developing two additional features: an English-language film set in Canada and a co-production with Centini in Italy and Venezuela. The two have also completed a short film titled “Pasta Negra” for release next year.
