Martfilms backs Mariana Rondón's new docu-fiction 'Looking for Sam' for San Sebastián forum

Martfilms, a Mexican company focused on socially engaged cinema, has entered a co-production agreement with Sudaca Films to develop Mariana Rondón’s next film, ‘Looking for Sam.’ The project revisits two actors from Rondón’s 2013 San Sebastián Golden Shell winner ‘Bad Hair’: Sam Lange, who played the boy Junior, and Samantha Castillo, who portrayed his mother. Both performers were compelled to leave Venezuela, and the new hybrid docu-fiction follows their lives in exile, exploring how memory and identity intersect.

Rondón told one outlet that the film blurs the line between fiction and documentary to ask what remains of a person after migration. Sudaca’s Marite Ugás highlighted that Lange now walks Paris runways while Castillo has settled in Mexico, underscoring the cross-border narrative. Martfilms’ Martha Orozco expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with the duo, noting the project’s nostalgic reunion and artistic growth. The film will be showcased at the Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum during the 74th San Sebastián Film Festival, which runs from September 18 to 26.