The City of Wild Beasts

La Ciudad de las Fieras / The City of Wild Beasts (2021, Colombia, Henry Rincon)

Tato (Bryan Cordoba) is a young rapper in Medellin who is looking to make ends meet and find money wherever he can. 

His days are spent in rap battles, hanging out with his girlfriend La Crespa (Valeria Pérez) and his friend Pitu (Joel Mosquera).

After his mother’s death, Tato attempts to dig out of poverty and debts but his life heads into dangerous territory riddled with guns and crime. When death comes looking for Tato, he escapes to the countryside to find his grandfather.

Tato has never met his grandfather Octávio (Óscar Atehortúa) before but his grandfather is the only relative he has left. Octávio isn’t initially impressed with Tato and his attitude and dress style. Meanwhile, Tato isn’t too keen to follow Octávio’s rules and hardworking lifestyle. Yet, as the two get to spend more time together, their perspectives start to change. 

The story at the core of The City of Wild Beasts sounds familiar and even some of the visuals of Medellin recall other Colombian films. However, the film is vibrant and full of life. Huge credit to director/writer Henry Rincon and the entire crew for making a tender film which gives me hope that cinema will always exist and continue to spin its magic as long as filmmakers are willing to tell stories in an honest manner.