An Endless Night in Medellin: Review of 'NEA', the new short by Alex Ulises and Nelson G. Navarrete
In the most recent edition of the Tribeca Film Festival, the short film "NEA" premiered. It was co-directed by Alex Ulises and Nelson G. Navarrete. "NEA" in turn, serves as an introduction to their upcoming feature film "Buscando América", which they describe as a film "under construction with web3".
In this short film, reminiscent of "After Hours" (directed by Martin Scorsese in 1985), Peluche, a taxi driver from Medellín, experiences a seemingly endless and eventful night. The surreal journey provides a poetic exploration of the Colombian night, showcasing elements of the city's daily routine.
One of the peculiarities of this short film is that it is almost exclusively starring non-professional actors. This is because the filmmakers prioritized casting people who can "portray authentic behavior over the mere slang usage." And it is because the slang is not a mere detail of verisimilitude within this fiction: It is constitutive of how this city and its characters are portrayed. The term "Nea" is part of that slang, and Peluche explains it in the first minutes of the film, in a break of the fourth wall that makes us participants and accomplices of that night and all its adventures.
The directors call their style "Neorrealismo Mágico", a combination of Italian Neorealism of the mid-20th century, with Latin American Magical Realism, the artistic movement that has given us beautiful and unforgettable works like Pedro Páramo (Juan Rulfo), Como Agua para Chocolate (Laura Esquivel) or La Casa de los Espíritus (Isabel Allende).
This mixture proposed by the film could define Latin America itself, between the harsh realities that we live here, and the humor and creativity with which we go through these situations. As the directors themselves explain: "We grew up amid neighborhood football matches, street fights, economic difficulties, and psychological conditions of pressure. We grew up amidst laughter and drama, black humor, suspense, and exaggeration - elements that constitute a universe where road rage transforms into fantasy-driven violence, where drugs elevate individuals to states of irritation and instability, where having a father is a privilege, and living amid blood is as natural as driving a car."
That mixture of laughter, drama, black humor, suspense, and exaggeration is perfectly represented in NEA. I can only look forward to the feature film "Buscando América" to submerge myself again in this Neorrealist and Magic Medellín by the hand of Peluche and his taxi.
More about Alex Ulises
Alex Ulises is a Colombian Director and co-founder of "Códigos," a production company that produces feature films, documentaries, live experiences and transmedia. Alex has also worked as Director, Creative Director and Director of Photography for artists from record labels such as Universal, Warner, and Sony, writing and directing music videos for renowned Latin artists, achieving over two billion views, and contributing significant pieces to popular and underground urban culture.
Más sobre Nelson G. Navarrete
Nelson G. Navarrete is a multifaceted artist specializing in film direction and production. The music videos he directed featuring rappers such as Canserbero and Lil Supa have more than one billion views on YouTube. His feature documentary, A la Calle, was distributed by HBO Max in 2020 and allowed him to join the Producers Guild of America. It also earned him an Emmy Award nomination in the category: Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary - 2022.
