Sins of My Father (film)

Sins of My Father (Spanish: Pecados de mi padre) is a 2009 Argentine-Colombian documentary film directed by Nicolas Entel. It tells the story of the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar from the inside perspective of his son, now living in Argentina under the name Sebastián Marroquín.

Sins of My Father
Directed byNicolas Entel
Produced byIvan Entel, Nicolas Entel
Written byNicolas Entel
Pablo Farina
Release date
  • December 10, 2009 (2009-12-10) (Colombia)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryArgentina
Colombia
LanguageSpanish

Synopsis

In 1993, after Pablo Escobar is gunned down by the police, his then 16-year-old son Juan Pablo flees to Argentina together with his mother and sister. To avoid being identified and in fear of his life he changes his name to Sebastián Marroquín. "My life was worth $4 million ... That’s the price they put on my head", he said.

After a decade of silence, Marroquín and his mother publicly speak about the life of their family member for the first time. In an attempt to end the cycle of violence and to ask for forgiveness Marroquín travels to Colombia to meet the sons of two of his father's most prominent murder victims: presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán and Minister of Justice Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, as well as the son of the former Colombian president César Gaviria.

In connection to telling the story of Pablo Escobar, the film explores the Colombia's recent violent history as a "narco-state" and the country's illegal drug trade.

Production

In 2005, after declining multiple filmmakers, Marroquín met Entel, who suggested making a documentary focused on the sons of the two famous men Escobar ordered killed in addition to Marroquín's inside perspective.[1] Questioned about the usefulness of Marroquín's apologizing to the sons of his father's victims for crimes he himself did not commit, Entel said the point was to promote reconciliation, "[the film] has the value of saying, 'It stops here. We are not going to inherit our parents' hatred.'"[2]

Marroquín agreed to participate in the project on two conditions: that "Pablo Escobar" was not included in the title and that his sister was not shown.[3] The film includes personal never-seen-before material of the Escobar family.[1]

Entel said of Marroquin: "It was very hard to get Sebastian to agree. It took me more than six months to get him on-board. Basically, he felt that he was risking his life by finally breaking his silence and letting the world know where he was and that his name was Sebastian Marroquin. But, I think he understood that I wasn't just trying to glamourize his father's image but I was trying to do something different, telling things from the point of view of his generation. I think that's what helped him to take this chance."[4]

Reception

Fernanda Solórzano talked about the movie in the cultural magazine Letras libres, she said: "Nicolás Entel documentary follow the steps of Sebastián Marroquín, son of Pablo Escobar, instead of humanizing the capo, the film draws his terrifying duality and his son's work to mantain his sanity in the face of his legacy".[5]

Awards
Award Category Recipient(s) Result
Miami International Film Festival Grand Jury Prize: Dox Competition[6] Nicolas Entel Won
Audience Award: Dox Competition[6] Nicolas Entel Won
Havana Film Festival Best Doc Award[7] Nicolas Entel Won
Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize: World Cinema - Documentary Nicolas Entel Nominated
News & Documentary Emmy Award Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Music and Sound David Majzlin Won
Argentine Film Critics Association Awards Best Documentary Feature Nicolas Entel Nominated

References
  1. Byrnes, Brian (13 November 2009). "Sins of the Father". Newsweek. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  2. Otis, John (4 November 2009). "My Father, the Drug Lord: Pablo Escobar's Son". TIME. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  3. "Q&A: Sins of My Father". Sundance Film Festival. 25 January 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  4. Erazo, Vanessa (August 16, 2013). "Nicolas Entel on Getting Pablo Escobar's Son to Agree to Sins of My Father Documentary". The Huffington Post.
  5. "Cine aparte • Pecados de mi padre". Letras Libres.
  6. "The 27th Annual Miami International Film Festival Honors the Best Selections in World and Florida Cinema at Annual Awards Night Ceremony". Miami International Film Festival. 13 March 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  7. "Premios en La Habana". Clarín (in Spanish). 13 December 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
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