To escape the crisis in Venezuela, and his alcoholism, Roque retreats into the Amazon jungle to renovate a cabin he built during happier times. He struggles with feverish visions caused by alcohol abstinence, and his desire for redemption becomes distorted when he joins old friends to work in an illegal gold mine controlled by Colombian guerrillas. The violence required to work in the mine plunges Roque into a cycle of self-destruction that devours his interior. His desire for redemption conflates with an increasingly violent environment. 

Mainly inspired by the stories Jorge Thielen Armand (La Soledad) heard from his father about his own battle to give up alcohol, Roque’s quest (played by Armand’s father himself) is told through lyrical and feverish visions both reflecting the inner state of the protagonist and a highly personal take on a distant home by the exiled Venezuelan filmmaker. 

This UK premiere follows the screening of Mo Scarpelli’s El Father Plays Himself, retracing the making of Armand’s film and taking a close-up view on the explosive yet intimate father-son dynamics at place in the film. The screening will be followed by drinks in the ICA bar. 

£13 Full, £11 Concessions, £6.50 Blue/Green Members

Book a ticket to La Fortaleza + El Father Plays Himself  for £16, including a free drink at the ICA Bar after the screenings. To book the offer online, please add the two films at Full Price in the basket and the discount will be applied at checkout.