Fantasy, Horror/ Mexico/ 2017/

Magical horror with a strong message that leaves you in an emotional chaos.

When her mother suddenly disappears leaving no one to care for her, young Estrella ends up on the street and joins a gang of children, triggering a dangerous and tragic chain of events in the third feature from Mexican filmmaker Issa Lopez. Children are implicated in the Mob bloodletting. They try to survive surrounded by the drug war and ghost haunting.

Most of the films regarding the drug cartels happen in the world of adults. Those stories are brutal, full of action, shootings, good and bad characters appealing to the audience. Nearly everybody forgets about the children that are left alone after the murder of their parents, without any chance to survive. Issa Lopez rises an important matter, showing to the world a whole generation of children that are forgotten and abandoned by the society. The director combines horror with the elements of fantasy in a subtle, magical, dark way. According to Guillermo del Toro it is one of the best films of 2017. We encounter a grim and fascinating tale told from the perspective of remarkably brave and extraordinary children. Thanks to the excellent work of Lopez, you will leave the cinema with a completely new perspective not only on the issue of drug cartels, but also on horrors in general.

The narration of this story present a magical point of view of incredibly brave and unusual children which causes the issues seemingly impossible, real. Such procedures bring to mind Gilerrmo del Toro’s „The Pan’s Labyrinth”, where fairies and demons blend with the violence of the real world. „Tigers Are Not Afraid” combines the social injustice, fantasy and child’s innocence with the beauty and strength that will leave you breathless. Incredibly beautiful, emotional horror that will break your heart and possibly encourage you to positive actions.  

PREMIERE: Fantastic Fest 2017

83’
age limits: 16+
LUBLIN: 29.11 (Thursday) / at 9:00 p.m. / Sala Kinowa /
WARSAW: 07.12 (Friday) / at. 9:00 p.m. / Sala 1 /

direction: Issa López
script: Issa López
direction of photography: Juan Jose Saravia
editing: Joaquim Marti
music: Vince Pope
cast: Paola Lara, Juan Ramón López
language: Spanish
subtitles: Polish, English