Spanish producers Batiac Films and Elora Posthaus have joined as co-producers on María Paz Barragan’s immigrant horror feature The Tenant. The Madrid-set feature will be promoted in the sidebar of this year’s Ventana Sur Projecta by Peruvian lead producer Final Abierto.
An example of Latin America’s mature and ever-diversifying genre scene and the region’s increasingly strong industry ties to Spain, “The Tenant” is set in 2003 and travels from Lima, Peru to Madrid. It tells the story of two immigrants, Edwin and Maria. Have a better life. With minimal resources, they move into the only house they can afford, only to discover that it is inhabited by a racist spirit bent on subjugating the couple.
Director Barragan, who is himself a Peruvian immigrant based in Madrid, said, “The Tenant is a horror film with social themes, especially focusing on the reality of many immigrants. immigration began to increase and reached the highest immigration rate in the world in 20 It is set at the end of the century. One of the most prominent immigrant nationalities at the time was Peruvians. This project seeks to tell a story set in the past, where the culture shock is greater, but set in the present. It would be just as valid if you did.”
Barragan directed the film and collaborated with Spanish writer Jordi Farga (Debut) on the screenplay. The film is produced by Norma Velazquez, president of the Peruvian Producers and Cinematographers Association, and Clara Santaolaya, founder of Batiac Film.
“When the idea for The Tenant came up, I didn’t hesitate for a second to jump on board,” Velasquez says. “Exploring the horror genre has long been of interest to me, and I am grateful to great and talented friends like Maria Paz and Jordi, and even more so as we have grown in different ways.” What better way to do it than in the cities of Madrid and Lima.
“The Tenant” is currently in development, with the full production team now in place and the script being fine-tuned. The plan is to complete the final draft of the script and shoot in the winter of 2025.
As a project, the film attracted attention at festivals and markets around the world, winning awards and grants, including the 2023 Peruvian Ministry of Culture Fiction Feature Film Production Fund. This fund will cover 40% of the film’s proposed budget. Four awards at FantasoLab. Ibero-American Fiction Project Development Course. and Iber Series Platino. The San Sebastian Film Festival sponsored the film’s appearance at Ventana Sur.
Batiak Films is an emerging force on the Spanish indie scene, with a catalog that includes several notable short and feature films. This year, the company produced “Lo carga el diablo,” which was screened in competition at the Miami Film Festival, and “The Human Hibernation,” which won the International Federation of Critics Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Elora Posthouse handles productions of all types and sizes in Spain, from big brand ads for Real Madrid, Disney and Papa John’s to high-end series for Movistar+ (‘Buen Trabajo’) and Prime Video (‘El Pueblo’). I went to work. Feature films such as “En otro lugar” directed by Jesús del Cerro and “Amenece” directed by San Sebastian player Juan Francisco Viruega.
