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07/15/2023

That's how "Quicksand" is, the first English-language feature film by Andrés Beltrán (Tarumama)


Yesterday, the new film by Colombian director Andrés Beltrán premiered exclusively on Shudder. "Quicksand" is his first English-language feature film, produced in collaboration with both Colombian and American investments. Shudder is a streaming platform focused on suspense, thrillers, and horror genres.

This is also the first time Beltrán directs a film with a story that is not his own, but it aligns with the themes he enjoys exploring in cinema, centered around couples and family.

Andrés Beltrán is one of the few directors in the country who has dedicated his entire filmography to horror and thriller genres. In 2016, he premiered his debut film, the thriller "Bad Days," which tells the story of a conflicted mother and daughter hiding in an isolated cabin due to the husband's theft of a shipment of emeralds, for which he is being pursued. The refuge seems suitable until two killers accidentally discover them. In 2021, after directing several episodes of the series "Mala Yerba," he released the horror film "Tarumama," which was showcased at the Sitges Film Festival. The movie follows a couple making a final effort to save their marriage by retreating to a cabin with their children. However, a series of strange events disrupts their peace after the arrival of a woman who predicts a sinister fate for them.

With "Quicksand," the time has come for Beltrán to expand the boundaries of his filmmaking by releasing his first English-language feature film. The story revolves around an American couple, with the woman having Colombian roots, who come to Bogotá for work-related reasons. The excitement and anticipation of the event conceal the marital crisis they are going through. In reality, they contemplate the possibility of divorce. Before fulfilling their work commitments, they decide to take a walk in one of the forests surrounding the city called "Las Arenas," unaware that a storm will trap them in the area and cause them to fall into a quicksand pit. From there, the central plot of this survival thriller begins, reminiscent of claustrophobic exploits seen in films like Rodrigo Cortés' "Buried" back in 2010. As you can see, the plot, although not an original idea by Beltrán, shares similarities with his thematic interests. "Quicksand" focuses on the moment the couple falls into the pit, where the imminent danger they face provides an opportunity for them to confront their crisis, remember the value of their relationship, and overcome the challenges they encounter to fight against being swallowed by the mud.

"This is my first English-language film; 95% of it is in English, with very few scenes in Spanish, and we shot it in Colombia. I had previously made some short films in English in England, but not a feature film with a Colombian crew, and the production was a mix," says the director. He utilized local talent to bring the film to life, including renowned actress Carolina Gaitán, who internationally is remembered for lending her voice to the character Pepa in Disney's "Encanto" and performing Lin-Manuel Miranda's song "We Don't Talk About Bruno," which became a musical phenomenon with multiple records. Her partner is played by Hallan Hawco.

The story of "Quicksand" originated from American screenwriter Matthew (Matt) Pitts, known for his work on series such as "Westworld," "Revolution," and "Fringe." "This is not an original idea of mine; it's Matt Pitts's story that captivated me, particularly because I grew up with this idea of quicksand in the 1980s and 1990s, where there was a certain fear associated with it. I found it very interesting to revive that, especially since quicksand does exist; there was a time when people believed it didn't," explains Beltrán. Initially, the writer and co-producer had not intended for the script to be filmed in Colombia but in a more tropical and jungle-like environment in Central America.

Andrés' involvement in the project came about through Nicolás Reyes and his production company Elemental Stories, who were looking for stories that could be filmed in Colombia but in the English language. "Nicolás met American film producer Jason Cherubini, and they formed this co-production partnership with Sean Burke, another producer from the US. I don't know who had Matt's script, but it fit perfectly to be filmed here since it was about an American couple arriving in a Spanish-speaking country with certain characteristics that could align with ours."

The premises in Andrés Beltrán's films have always been straightforward, allowing the usual resources of his favorite genres to complement the stories. "This story also caught my attention because it revolves around a couple going through a crisis and on the brink of divorce, which is a topic that interests me greatly, as well as relationships and family dynamics. With these two characters as a foundation, I found it very interesting to construct this film as a thriller and infuse it with my touches of terror, without being strictly categorized in that genre." The director also contributed to making the story feasible and believable in the cold climate of the Colombian capital, drawing from his experience in producing low-budget independent genre films with high-quality standards. Prior to the release of this movie, he returned to the world of series by directing episodes of "Ritmo salvaje" and "Primate."

In Cannes 2022, the project participated in the Marché du Film and was acquired by Shudder, a specialized American streaming platform for these genres, owned by AMC Networks. Since yesterday, the film has been available on both Shudder and AMC+.



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