PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Jorge Thielen Armand, director of the film La Fortaleza.

To listen to the interview, click on the ► icon on the right, just above the picture

An interview with Jorge Thielen Armand, director of La Fortaleza, presented in the Tiger Competition of the 2020 International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film, in short, is the story of an alcoholic man who, while falling apart, travels to the Amazon jungle to rebuild a tourist camp and himself – but falls prey to various vices while there. The director reveals that this film was inspired by experiences and stories of his own father, who stars as a version of himself in the movie. He also talks about such themes as masculinity, present in the film, and his urge to talk about contemporary Venezuela, among other things.

La Fortaleza: Roque, who is old enough for a midlife crisis, has just wrecked his mother’s car. He blames the chaos in Venezuela, but his parents don’t share this view, and throw him out of their house. To battle his demons, and the drink, he travels into the southern jungle to renovate a cabin he built there in happier times. He meets old friends, now captivated by the gold rush. His desire for redemption conflates with an increasingly violent environment.

To discover more about the festival, click here.