Sundance Films: Sins of My Father

Title: Sins of My Father
Director: Nicolas Entel
Website: http://www.sinsofmyfather.tv/

Summary: Pablo Escobar, the most notorious and brutal drug lord in Colombia's history, was gunned down in Medellín in 1993. After his father's death, Juan Escobar fled to Buenos Aires, changed his name to Sebastián Marroquín, assuming a new identity to escape his father's dubious legacy. For the first time since Escobar's death, Marroquín comes forward to tell his father's story. With heartfelt honesty, he recounts what it was like to grow up loving a father that he knew was his country's number-one enemy. Unsatisfied with simply relating history, Marroquín requests a meeting with the sons of two celebrated Colombian political leaders who were among hundreds of victims that his father had killed in the 1980s. Filmmaker Nicolas Entel captures the powerful and historic moment when the son of Pablo Escobar and the sons of his victims come together to heal wounds that have haunted them all for decades (Sundance).

Thoughts: Nicolas Entel’s Sins of My Father looks like a powerful film not about redemption exactly, but about dealing with the chaos left behind by others. The film looks every bit the part one would expect from a subject like this- which is a very good thing. However, the meeting between Sebastián Marroquín and the sons of his father’s victims sounds a little forced. Hopefully that is not the case and, more importantly, hopefully this is coming to theaters sooner rather than later.