Coming to theatres and to VOD today, Friday, November 14: DRUG LORD: THE LEGEND OF SHORTY
Angus Macqueen and Guillermo Galdos’ attempt to find the head of a notorious drug cartel bowed at SXSW earlier this year. The doc went on to Biografilm and Guanajuato. In addition to a limited theatrical release beginning today, Gravitas Ventures makes the doc available day and date on VOD platforms.
Mexico’s Sineloa cartel is said to be responsible for a quarter of the illegal drugs entering the United States, making its head, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, a billionaire – and the heir to Capone’s title of “Public Enemy Number One.” Despite his notoriety, El Chapo seemed impossible to catch – but Macqueen and Galdos weren’t so sure about that, prompting them to head up their own investigation into the criminal’s whereabouts. Chronicling their search, set against a narcocorridos soundtrack, the film follows them as they make their way to Culiacan, Sineloa’s home base, witnessing major deals and clear corruption, and even arranging interviews with El Chapo’s own mother. While they seem close to gaining an audience with the man himself in his private sanctuary, he ends up backing out. Before they can regroup, the authorities finally move in, arresting the kingpin mere weeks before the film’s debut at SXSW, which necessitated a new ending to bring the story up to speed before its premiere. While the film demonstrates flashes of style in its untangling of the myths behind the man, it ultimately feels unsatisfying and rushed – an instance where real life developments undercut the filmmakers’ plan.
what (not) to doc 