El escuerzo

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Note of intent

I left my home city in Cordoba for college and have not lived there since. However, everytime I go back to visit I have this strong nostalgic feeling.
I’ve always asked myself if we can take advantage of the genre-film codes that have always attracted me during my studies to make a film full of local nostalgy and folktales from Latin America. El Escuerzo is an extreme and universal way to show that yes, we can. And if we don’t, the corpse of the horned frog will take revenge .

Synopsis

1866, during the so called “war against Paraguay”, in an isolated mountain. A young boy named Venancio kills a horned frog. Her mother Antonia believes in an ancient folk legend that foresees the horned frog being resurrected if he was not cremated. In this deserted place the family’s only neighbours are Menseguez, a war veteran; and her young daughter Catalina. The rough winter begins to perturbate day by day. The loud and sharp croak of the frog threatens night by night. When food is scarce, Venancio goes out into a trip to a mournful and desolated place where he finds food and faith to face his fears. When he comes back, while Catalina deals with the abuses of her father, Venancio finds himself face to face with the horned frog.

Visual concept

“El Escuerzo” is a horror film that goes beyond the classic laws of the genre to adopt a idiosyncrasy specifically from Latin America. The goal is not a jump scare style but a slow burn building fear-type by generating dark disturbing and strange atmospheres, which increase throughout the film. In this movie we don’t get to see the monster, we can feel its presence from the images and the sounds that are already worked out in the script.