VIOLENCIA

A feature film by María José Moreno

Political thriller | Spanish | Colombia | In development

Logline

When the destruction of an illegal mine sparks a miners’ strike in Tarazá, Colombia, two sisters become trapped in a roadside hotel under siege, while the teenage son of a murdered union leader is drawn into the armed violence consuming the region.

Director’s Note
Violencia emerged from a real experience I lived through during the 2013 miners’ strike in Tarazá, where my sister and I were trapped in the middle of collapsing civil order. From that experience, I began a long-term investigation into illegal gold mining and its ties to armed violence in Colombia. Rather than explaining the conflict from the outside, the film observes how violence enters daily life and shapes the fate of those who grow up within it.

Selected Recognition

Lab Guion Colombia 2025
Preselected for Sundance Development Track
Selected Writer, Linterna Lab 2025
Third Place, Latinx Screenplay Competition 2025
Semi-Finalist, Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival 2025

In collaboration with Firmament
firmament.de

Contact
contactmariajosemoreno@gmail.com

Production Updates
lasanimas_films

Synopsis

In Tarazá, Colombia, the destruction of an illegal mine triggers a miners’ strike that quickly escalates into an armed crisis. Amelia and Martina, two sisters traveling by road, become stranded in a roadside hotel alongside a group of truck drivers as looting, blockades and violent clashes turn the area into a besieged territory.

At the same time, Yeison, the teenage son of a murdered miners’ union leader, is pulled toward revenge and ends up absorbed by the very violence surrounding him. As civil order collapses, Violencia explores how violence ceases to be an isolated event and becomes a social norm, circulating through everyday life and through the economy of illegal gold.