Movies by Alejandro Landes Echavarría

Alejandro Landes Echavarría is a visionary Colombian-Ecuadorian filmmaker whose work captivates audiences with its raw power and unconventional storytelling. Landes is a true auteur, blending documentary-style realism with a poetic, dreamlike sensibility that sets his films apart from the mainstream. Landes first gained recognition with his 2007 documentary Cocalero, which offers a fascinating, intimate look at Evo Morales's campaign to become Bolivia's first indigenous president. This set the stage for Landes's distinctive approach - tackling politically charged subject matter through a deeply humanistic, character-driven lens. His 2011 drama Porfirio continues this trend, dramatizing the true story of a disabled man's fight for justice in a moving, unsentimental way. Landes's 2019 masterpiece Monos, however, is where his singular voice truly shines. This hypnotic, visually stunning film follows a group of child soldiers in the Colombian jungle, crafting a haunting exploration of power, violence, and the fragility of humanity. With its blend of gritty realism and dreamlike allegory, Monos cements Landes's status as one of the most compelling and innovative directors working today, a filmmaker unafraid to challenge audiences and push the boundaries of the medium.