Spanish producers Batiac Films and Elora Posthouse have joined as co-producers on Maria Paz Barragan’s immigrant horror feature The Tenant. The Madrid-set feature will be promoted in the sidebar of this year’s Ventana Sur Projecta by Peruvian lead producer Final Abierto.
An example of Latin America’s mature and ever-diversifying genre scene and the region’s increasingly strong industry ties to Spain, “The Tenant” is set in 2003 and moves from Lima, Peru to Madrid. It tells the story of two immigrants, Edwin and Maria. Have a better life. With minimal resources, they move into the only house they can afford, only to find it inhabited by a racist spirit bent on subjugating the couple.
Director Barragan, who is himself a Peruvian immigrant based in Madrid, said, “’The Tenant’ is a horror film with social themes, especially focusing on the reality of many immigrants. In the 20th century, immigration began to increase and reached the highest immigration rate in the world. One of the most prominent immigrant nationalities at the time was Peruvians, and this project seeks to tell a story set in a past where culture shock was greater. It would be just as valid if you set it to current.
Barragan directed the film and collaborated with Spanish writer Jordi Farga (Debut) on the screenplay. The film is produced by Norma Velazquez, president of the Peruvian Producers and Cinematographers Association, and Clara Santaolaya, founder of Batiac Film.
“When the idea for The Tenant came up, I didn’t hesitate for a second to jump on board,” Velasquez says. “Exploring the horror genre has long been of interest to me, and I’ve worked with great and talented friends like Maria Paz and Jordi, and even more as we’ve grown in different ways. What better way to do it than in the cities of Madrid and Lima.
“The Tenant” is currently in intensive development, and now that the entire production team is assembled, the script is being fine-tuned. The plan is to complete the final draft of the script and shoot in the winter of 2025.
As a project, the film attracted attention at festivals and markets around the world, winning awards and grants, including the 2023 Peruvian Ministry of Culture Fiction Feature Film Production Fund. This fund will cover 40% of the film’s proposed budget. Four awards at FantasoLab. Ibero-American Fiction Project Development Course. and Iber Series Platino. The San Sebastian Film Festival sponsored the film’s appearance at Ventana Sur.
Batiak Films is an emerging force on the Spanish indie scene, with a catalog that includes several notable short and feature films. This year, the company produced “Lo carga el diablo,” which was screened in competition at the Miami Film Festival, and “The Human Hibernation,” which won the International Federation of Critics Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Elora Posthouse produces productions of all types and sizes in Spain, from big brand ads for Real Madrid, Disney and Papa John’s to high-end series for Movistar+ (‘Buen Trabajo’) and Prime Video (‘El Pueblo’). I went to work. Feature films such as “En otro lugar” directed by Jesús del Cerro and “Amenece” directed by San Sebastian player Juan Francisco Viruega.
