Jorge Navas to direct Latin American horror film The Elf

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Argentina's AZ Films and Colombia's 64A Films are teaming up to produce the English-language horror film THE ELF (or EL DUENDE), which is set to be directed by Jorge Navas (pictured above).

Scripted by Alonso Torres and Laila Burbano, THE ELF tells the story of 

Camila, a young city-based woman who takes a trip to Colombia’s idyllic del Cauca. The trip is meant to bring the family together, after her breakdown. But Camila loses her son and, falling under the influence of a dark spirit, battles to stop herself turning into a force for evil that will tear apart the bonds holding her family together.

"Duende" is a name ascribed to various creatures by different cultures. Duendes can be like elves, fairies, gnomes, goblins, or even ghosts. Some are helpful, some are evil. I'm doubting that the duende in this film will fit the traditional image of an elf, but whatever form this creature takes it definitely doesn't sound like something you would ever want to encounter.

But THE ELF isn't just a simple story of a woman being terrorized by a small creature, it has more depth to it than that. With the film, Navas is looking to explore "the human struggle to maintain spiritual integrity and mental balance when one is attacked." It is also said that THE ELF will capture the tension of a country in the aftermath of fifty years of civil conflict "the idea of making a new start; the fear of inexorable evil."

This appears to be a great project, and it's expected to go into production in the first half of 2017.