El Rezador

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Note of intent

In the center of Quito, one can find monumental Catholic Churches, surrounded by scammers who offer their services of miraculous cures. How dangerous are their activities and how far are they capable of going if they had the opportunity to “massify” their business? I found the answer in the press. Gema, a poor girl draws thousands of worshipers for her alleged miracles. The avalanche of people generate huge profits and inevitable conflicts that turn out fatal. I think that this context is ideal to place a “thriller” that, in the need of clarification, weaves the threads that connect power and corruption.

Synopsis

Two workers find a naked crucified man in the central yard of an old village in restoration located in the historic center of the city of Quito. Nearby a car is parked, and inside it is Antanacio crying in his blood-stained shirt: it’s the El Rezador. When he gets caught, crowds of angry devotees try to lynch him, while the police struggles to hold them back. El Rezador is the story of a small scammer who takes economic advantage of a little girl, who claims to have visions of the Virgin Mary and who thousands of congregations consider miraculous. The business gets so great and profitable that it will unavoidably get out of hand.

Visual concept

The story of El Rezador has a “dark tint” that is reflected in the atmosphere that surrounds the story. The high contrast is fundamental, great differences between lights and shadows, that by their intensity reach pure black. Lights get harder or softer but always at the right time, pointing out what we want to see and hiding the “mystery”. It is in the city of Quito where we find the palette of color, uniformed of the neutral colors and the texture of the walls, streets and objects that expose a corrupt and organic environment, in a total moral decline. Goya’s “black series” paintings are a great source of visual inspiration.