An Italian-Colombian drama awarded in Venice explores the morbid bonds between mother and son.
«El Paraiso» arrives in cinemas, the second film by director Enrico Maria Artale, distributed by I Wonder Pictures.
This psychological drama, set between the Roman suburbs and Colombia, has already won the prestigious Orizzonti award for best screenplay and female performance at the Venice Film Festival, as well as the Arca – Cinema Giovani Award.
The film tells the story of Julio Cesar (played by Edoardo Pesce), a forty-year-old man still deeply attached to his mother, a charismatic Colombian played by telenovela star Margarita Rosa De Francisco Baquero. Their daily life, working for a small drug dealer on the outskirts of Rome, is turned upside down by the arrival of Ines, a young Colombian mule. This new entry upsets the already precarious balance of the mother-child relationship, unleashing repressed desires and devastating jealousies.
Inspired by the bond with the mother
Artale explains that «El Paraiso» is inspired by a personal bond with the mother, projected into an almost mythological dimension. The film explores the subtle boundaries between love and madness, representing an unbreakable bond that challenges social conventions and the natural separation between parents and children. «It is a colorful tragedy», states Artale, «which immerses its heroes in the nuances of their most intimate moods.»
Edoardo Pesce describes his character as complex and layered: «Julio is son and father, sometimes victim and sometimes accomplice. Through him, I was able to express undisguised fragility and sensitivity.” The film also includes vibrant salsa and merengue scenes, which Pesce learned to dance to fully immerse himself in the role.
«El Paraiso» is an intense journey that leads the protagonists and spectators to discover an imaginary place, symbol of an origin and an aspiration. With a focus on emotional dependence, Artale transports audiences to a world where love, nostalgia and madness intertwine in a visceral and compelling tale.
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