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De Niro is not My Dad

Synopsis

Luis Fernando Montoya, my father, passed away as I was beginning to create a film about him. Luisfer was a renowned actor, often likened to the Colombian counterpart of De Niro due to his striking resemblance to the American actor. When I was 16, he was arrested in Miami for drug trafficking as a mule and served a four-year sentence. During his absence, I gathered images of his work as a television and film actor in an attempt to unravel the enigma of my father. Upon his release from prison in the U.S., he returned to live on a ranch on the outskirts of Bogotá. I started filming him with the intention of making a movie—an excuse to spend time together. I'd visit him, listening to his recollections of life in front of the television, amidst his habitual haze of marijuana and beer. However, the camera soon began to intrude upon the authenticity of our interactions. So, I decided to conceal it and continue filming. Over time, he opened up to me, sharing his most intimate secrets, explaining his absences, and lamenting the decline of a generation of artists ravaged by drug addiction. Sadly, most did not survive, and all that remains of him are these poorly recorded images and sounds. Luisfer once asked me to assist him in dying when the time came, but I chose not to capture that moment. While my father may not have been De Niro, he was the Simón Bolívar of a generation that left an indelible mark on the history of Colombian cinema and television.

Production Details

Status: Post-production

Format: Documentary

Genre: Personal archive documentary

Language: Spanish

Countries: Colombia

Production Companies: Inercia Películas, Tardeo Temprano

Director: Manuela Montoya

Producers: Paola Andrea Pérez Nieto, Manuela Montoya, Juan Soto Taborda

Editing: Juan Soto Taborda

Awards & Events

  • 2012 - Project recipient of the documentary project development incentive from the Cinematographic Development Fund - FDC.

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