Peruvian director Rosario García-Montero studied film in various international universities including the University of Lima, New School University in New York, and the International School of Film and Television in Cuba. With her celebrated debut, the feature film The Bad Intentions (2011), García-Montero burst into the world of cinema and gained international recognition as one of the most talented Latin American filmmakers of her generation.

The film had its world premiere at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for a Crystal Bear in the Generation Section. Subsequently, the film made the official selections of more than 15 international film festivals, winning numerous awards such as Best Latin American Feature Film in the Mar del Plata International Film Festival and Best Peruvian Film of the Year in the Lima Film Festival.

In reaction to her film’s impressive international reception, García-Montero comments:

I have been lucky to present The Bad Intentions at prestigious festivals and to have such a positive reception on the part of diverse audiences. Perhaps this is due to the fact that, in the end, what counts is something universal. In Berlin audiences laugh and cry just like in Busan, Mar del Plata or Havana. We all have heroes, we all have somewhere in our collective memory stories of death and darkness. But, above all, we have all been children and have felt many times that the adult world doesn’t listen to us, that our problems are just as serious even though they may be infantile. I believe that Cayetana de los Heros is a very honest character that, like a hangover, leaves a lasting impression on the viewer. (Punto Cine; my translation)

Vera R. Coleman

Arizona State University