LOS FANTASMAS by Sebastián Lojo

Trailer  Pressbook

Koki is a young, attractive and charismatic man who makes a living in Guatemala City as a thief by proxy. Across sun-drenched afternoons, he befriends tourists who are suddenly, cyclically mugged. Under cover of night, he seduces men in bars and clubs, leading them to a hotel room where they are robbed. The latter arrangement is in conjunction with Carlos, a middle aged, senior member of staff at the hotel. Away from the dated atmosphere of his workplace, Carlos indulges in another form of rehearsed violence, moonlighting as a wrestler, briefly liberated under a thick shade of make-up. When the tables are turned and Koki is betrayed by Carlos, he finds himself pushed even further into society’s margins, forced to witness the violent effects of his actions from an almost disembodied perspective.

IFF Rotterdam (comp.), Woche der Kritik, FICCI Cartagena (comp.), ShorTS IFF (awarded), Lima FF, Biarritz Festival Amérique Latine (comp.), Festival de Cine Iberoamericano de Huelva (comp.), exground FF, Filmar, Lafita, Guadalajara IFF (comp.), Films from the South, Habana IFF (comp.), Santa Barbara FF, Neighboring Scenes: New Latin American Cinema, Chicago Latino FF, Filmatique Talents, Cine las Americas, FICCI Interuptus, Habana IFF (awarded) a.o.

"For the way Guatemala City creeps into the images giving us the tangible perception of suspended disturbance that moves between the shadows, corners and roofs of the capital. Ghosts of a metropolitan blues that slowly reveals itself as a spiritual ascension, in a free tail that opens the heart and gaze beyond the night and the asphalt."
—​ Jury of Italian Film Critics Union prize (Shorts IFF)

"'Los Fantasmas' is the best answer to the question of whether this supercooled world can still provide material for an effective, for a beautiful, for an exciting film."
—​ Michael Brunner, skug

"Absolutely brilliant" 
—​ Elena Lazic, Little White Lies (podcast)

"Los Fantasmas is an entertaining, uncomplicated and subdued film that  needs few words. The images say it all. And the title of the film is very on  point!"
— ​De Protagonisten

"cool urban thriller"
"Lojo brings a distinct retro look to his impressively filmic feature debut"
"a palpable snapshot of modern Guatemala with authentic settings and convincing local characters"
— ​Meredith Taylor for Filmuforia

Cast
Marvin Navas / Carlos Morales / Daniela Castillo / Sandra Guerra

Crew
Director: Sebastián Lojo / Writer: Sebastián Lojo / Cinematorgrapher: Vincenzo Marranghino / Editor: Terence Chim, Keenen Yong / Sound: Jacob Jiménez Bonilla, Guido Deniro, Marco Hernández / Art Director: Esvin Alarcón Lam, Beliza Ruiz-Matamoros / Producer: Remi Itani  / Production Company: A La Deriva Cine / Co Producer: Bernabé Demozzi / Co Production company: Perro Suelto Cine

Technical information
Original Title: Los Fantasmas / shot digital / available for screenings in DCP and Apple ProRES4444 / color / 1:1.66 / 76 min / 5.1 and stereo / Spanish with English subtitles / A La Deriva Cine / Guatemala, Argentina 2020