THE AWAKENING (El Despertar): The Posthumous Work of Director Jaime Osorio Marquez to Premiere at Guadalajara

Ancient horror emerges from the Amazon in The Awakening, World Premiere at the 41st Guadalajara International Film Festival 

The highly anticipated posthumous work by Jaime Osorio Marquez competes in the Official Genre Cinema Selection 

 

During the 41st edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG), audiences will witness a visceral blend of horror, action and survival with the world premiere of Colombian film The Awakening (El Despertar). The film follows an elite military unit deployed to the jungle to eliminate a strategic target; however, the mission takes a dark turn as the soldiers face supernatural forces that force them  into a desperate fight for their lives. 

 

The operation spirals into a nightmare when the team unknowingly encroaches upon the territory of Mobuya, the protective spirit of a sacred site. Trespassing into this zone carries devastating consequences, echoing a tragedy that, centuries ago, consumed an expedition of Spanish conquistadors at the hands of the same implacable force. 

 

With a narrative that merges the tropes of military action cinema with an ancient evil  inspired by Latin American folklore, the film reflects on the scars of colonialism through high-tier production standards. Thanks to meticulous work in aesthetics, sound design, editing, and visual effects, the result is the crowning achievement of the creative vision of one of the region’s most influential contemporary horror creators, reaching a technical quality on par with major Hollywood genre productions. 

 

Following the international success of El Páramo, the late director Jaime Osorio Marquez and creative producer Federico Durán felt the impulse to explore a fear deeper than what is visible. From that restless search, this story was born, seeking to illuminate the mystical and the ancestral through a human sensibility that is as fragile as it is powerful. 

 

Despite his courageous battle with illness, Osorio left the creative process filmed and imbued with his full vision, though unfinished. The production company Rhayuela Films then took on the challenge of completing the project, keeping the spirit of the story intact and thus honoring the final work of a dear friend and collaborator. 

 

It is profoundly symbolic that Jaime Osorio Marquez’s final film competes in Guadalajara, the same stage where El Páramo won the award for Best Screenplay in 2012. This return closes a vital and artistic cycle for the filmmaker at one of Ibero America’s most prestigious festivals. 

 

The film has already secured distribution in the U.S. and other international markets.