In the Colombian Caribbean, a group of queer activists practice a militancy that challenges heteropatriarchal norms while engaging in other causes to collectively fight against the various social injustices that plague the region. When the management of the country's largest coal mine announces a press conference to promote the development of mining, the group prepares to carry out a denunciatory performative action... and resolutely queer.

Interview with Writer/Director Jorge Cadena

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thank you! Flores Del Otro Patio was born from the intention of denouncing the macabre dynamics of exploitation of the territory of La Guajira in Colombia by the coal industry and to make visible the struggle from an unusual and surprising convergence between queers, indigenous and black populations.

This film is the third of a cycle of short films with which I explore my cinematographic vision and investigate territories that are relevant in the construction of my Caribbean queer identity. A cycle that I’m presently pursuing with a feature film that develops the experiences of the characters portrayed in Flores Del Otro Patio.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Because this film is a fragment of hope, in spite of the terrible panorama caused by the exploitation of coal. A film that shows activists who fight every day with their art and passion to raise their voices in a region plagued by endemic machismo and structural violence. This film is a call, an invitation to the spectators to join the struggle through a queer prism full of flowers, sparkles, colors and fantasy.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

It speaks of my search for emancipation and our collective quest to vindicate the struggles of indigenous and queer communities, the protection of territory, the access to vital resources such as water and, of course, the quest to live with dignity and joyfully.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

This project began as part of scouting for my first feature film in March 2022, amidst the polarized climate of the presidential election in Colombia. Through this process of research and travel, I met artist/activist friends who identified with my concerns and research. As a result of these encounters, we began working on the creation of Flores Del Otro Patio. In the first step, I wrote the script with my sister, the sociologist Li Aparicio, and then we invited each of the characters, to give their touches, their lines and their voices. Eudes Rosado, Leon David Salazar, Saray Nohemi Rebolledo, Rubén Barrios y Andru Suarez, the five Flores protagonists brought much of their real lives to the script.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The comments of the public and the juries of the different festivals have been really positive, full of sensitivity and analysis of the cross-cutting themes presented. For example, at Winterthur, the jury said of Flores del otro patio: "Inventive, full of love and with a very clear political statement, the film surprises the viewer again and again. The performances are impressive, with characters portrayed through fragments and meaningful details. Using simple elements and without miserabilism, the movie gives a strong beauty to the struggle it portrays".

We couldn't be more honoured and grateful for the film's journey.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

We are surprised by the reception that Flores del otro patio has received everywhere it has been shown. I feel that the energy of the short film succeeds in challenging the viewers. Something special that has happened to me several times and never ceases to amaze me, is that some of the people in the audience lose track of the reality and fiction experienced by the protagonists. In some Q&As, the audience asked how the coal company reacted after the sabotage performance we performed, the viewer completely assumes that the fictional events were a documented reality.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

We want to get more people interested in the film and in its protagonists, who are artists/activists from the Colombian Caribbean.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We would like to continue screening in different Festivals and cities, to meet with directors of festivals, art centers or alternative cultural spaces. We would also like to be joined by more journalists, social communicators, and sensitive people interested in bringing more visibility to Flores del otro patio.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I’m currently writing, with my sister Li Aparicio and two co-writers, the script of my first feature film that develops the experiences of the characters portrayed in Flores del otro patio.

Interview: May 2023

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Flores Del Otro Patio

Length: 15:46

Director: Jorge Cadena

Producer: GoldenEggProduction

Writer: Li Aparicio

About the writer, director and producer:

Born in Barranquilla, Colombia in 1985, JORGE CADENA first studied photography in Buenos Aires. In 2016, he obtained a Bachelor's degree in cinema from HEAD - Geneva with his film El Cuento de Antonia, awarded with the Tiger Award at the Rotterdam Film Festival. He then obtained his Master's degree at ECAL/HEAD in 2018 with The Jarariju Sisters which received a special mention at the Berlinale. In 2019, he was selected to participate in the EFP Future Frame program in Karlovy Vary, the TIFF Lab in Toronto in 2020 and the Berlinale Talents in 2021. He is currently working on his first feature film, Malestar Tropical.

Born in 1993 in Barranquilla, Colombia, LI APARICIO is a sociologist, screenwriter, feminist activist and popular education teacher. She studied sociology at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and later received a diploma in Situated Artistic Practices from the National University of the Arts (UNA). Together with Jorge Cadena, she wrote El Cuento de Antonia, a short film that won the Tiger Award at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2017. In 2018, Hermanas Jarariju, their second work, received a special mention from the Berlin International Jury. Recently, Flores del otro patio, their latest, has been presented at various festivals and received several awards. At the end of 2022, Li returned to Barranquilla after 13 years and is writing her first feature film.

GoldenEggProduction is a film production company created in 2012 in Geneva, committed to identifying, developing and distributing films and, more broadly, ambitious audiovisual works by filmmakers with original and unique signatures whose points of view are rooted in contemporary society. Fictions and documentaries are recognized in their traditions but also in their ability to be in dialogue with each other. There is also an ongoing interest in new generations of filmmakers and technicians, from short films to first feature films.

Key cast: Eudes Rosado, Leon David Salazar, Rubén Barrios, Saray Nohemi Rebolledo, Andru Suarez

Looking for: film festival directors and journalists

Facebook: Jorge Cadena

Twitter: @JorgeCadenaC

Instagram: @jorgecadenac

Hashtags used: #floresdelotropatio #jorgecadena #maricón #queerfilm #antiextrativismo #activismomarica

Other: Vimeo, IMDb

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

Milwaukee Film Festival, United States (20 April – 4 May, 2023) Official Selection
Pink Apple Filmfestival, Switzerland (25 April – 7 May, 2023) Short Film Competition - Won: Best Short Film Award
Amsterdam Transgender Film Festival, the Netherlands (18 – 21 May, 2023) Official Selection
Videoex Festival, Switzerland (25 May - 4 June, 2023) Swiss Competition
Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, United States (31 May – 4 June, 2023) LA Premiere - Official Selection
Norwegian Short Film Festival, Norway (7 - 11 June, 2023) Competition