Desde allá – From Afar Directed by Lorenzo Vigas

Desde allá – From Afar

Directed by Lorenzo Vigas

Starring: Alfredo Castro, Luis Silva, Jericó Montilla, Catherina Cardozo, Jorge Luis Bosque, Greymer Acosta, Auffer Camacho, Ivan Peña, Joretsis Ibarra, Yeimar Peralta, Scarlett Jaimes. Ernesto Campos, Marcos Moreno, Jesús Las Rosas, Alí ​​Rondón, Leovigildo Álvarez, Geralt Jiménez, Oswaldo Chacha, Felipe Massiani

Country: Venezuela, Mexico

Year: 2015

Author: Roberto Matteucci

Click Here for Italian Version

“Regresó papá.”

In 2013, President Hugo Chávez died in Venezuela. His successor was Nicolás Maduro, who had remained in office until his abduction by the US Army in January 2026. The deposition of a Venezuelan president is not new in the country's history. It happened previously to Chávez himself in the attempted coup of April 2002, once again financed by the United States.

After the putsch was foiled, Chávez secured control over the oil industry and directed its revenues to finance the development of the marginal classes:

'When Chávez finally secured control of the oil resources after the coup against him in 2002, he forced Venezuela's largest oil company, PDVSA, to distribute the oil wealth throughout the country.' (1) (Author’s translation)

It was an unparalleled uprising. The substantial revenues from crude oil sales, rather than financing American multinationals, were channelled into public spending to benefit the most deprived social strata; this, in essence, was Hugo Chávez's real revolution. He also dismantled the disastrous public health system, increasing the budget and securing international agreements to establish community healthcare clinics. The medical sector became one of the central symbols of the Bolivarian Revolution, a crucial break with the past.

Chávez championed a historic turning point in South American countries, fighting against US colonisation and the ruthlessness of the International Monetary Fund. He launched initiatives for indigenous people and sought to address social inequalities.

During his presidency, extreme poverty was significantly reduced: from 23.4% in 1999 to 8.5% in 2011. (2)

Chávez achieved other considerable results: increased school enrolment, a substantial reduction in infant mortality, and expanded investment in healthcare. The effects were significant but short-lived milestones, largely because Chávez financed them with the proceeds from oil sales. That is a lot of money, as Venezuela is one of the world’s leading oil producers. However, the consequences were disastrous.

State coffers were bled dry. The lack of investment in the hydrocarbon sector led to a sharp reduction in revenues.

In the country, dollars disappeared; attempts to support the exchange rate proved futile and gauche, whilst on the black market, the dollar doubled. The drop in oil prices did the rest: GDP fell by 3.9% in 2014, therefore, the middle class fled the country. (3)

The most serious consequence is uncontrolled inflation. The official figure, 68.50%, is the worst in the world; no nation, not even those at war, has a higher rate. There are no signs of improvement; in March 2026, the percentage reached 649.47%. (4)

This brief overview of Venezuela's history contextualises the film Desde allá – From Afar, directed by Lorenzo Vigas. The film is set between the end of the Chávez era and the beginning of the Maduro presidency.

The film won the Golden Lion at Venice in 2015.

Lorenzo Vigas expressed his gratitude for the award with these words:

'I want to dedicate this prize to my amazing country, Venezuela. We’ve been having some problems, but we’re very positive. We’re an amazing nation and we’re going to start talking to each other more.' (5)

Venezuela is an ‘amazing’ place – stunning and surprising – yet it faces enormous challenges in daily life. The poor do not need indiscriminate aid but real jobs. To create employment, Venezuela needs productivity, structural investment, organisation, and an effective, uncorrupted state.

Desde allá – From Afar is a Venezuela-Mexico co-production. Mexican screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga is among the producers. The production suffered from numerous constraints. The main problem was raising funds. Once these funds were obtained, a major complication immediately arose. With the rapid rise in prices, the allocated money had lost considerable value after a week, making it necessary to work quickly:

'Absolutely, due to inflation, which has now reached 200% — whereas in a normal country it is around 3-4% — it is very difficult to work. Just think that when you receive money to make a film, it has a certain value, and after two months, it is worth nothing; it is completely devalued. Therefore, the problem of financing is certainly something to take into account. We were supported by CENAC, the National Autonomous Center of Filmmaking. The money eventually arrives, but filming is not immediate, and when it comes time to shoot, you have to look for other funds again' (6). (Author’s translation)

This is Lorenzo Vigas's feature debut. He previously directed the short work Los elefantes nunca olvidan, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004.

The two lead actors are Alfredo Castro and Luis Silva. Chilean Alfredo Castro has starred with director Pablo Larraín in numerous films. They presented the film Post Mortem together at the Venice Film Festival in 2010.

We are in Caracas. Armando, played by a cynical Alfredo Castro, is wandering near a bus stop.

His gaze meets that of a handsome young man. Armando is homosexual. He approaches him and accompanies him home. He pays him to undress in front of him. He masturbates, does not touch him, and does not let him touch him either. The encounter is sordid.

Armando belongs to the lower middle class, runs a dental prosthetics business and earns a substantial income.

He lives alone. He has a sister. He says that he glimpsed their father. We do not know, and will likely never know, but probably their father abandoned them when they were children.

In the streets, he meets Elder, an arrogant teenager with a girlfriend; he is a pseudo tough guy. Their first date is violent. Elder beats and robs him. Despite the abuse, Armando develops an obsession with the boy. He seeks him out, follows him, and helps him when he is injured in a brawl, bringing him home. A dialogue begins between the two. They have something in common.

Elder's father is in prison; he has not studied, and he has no job. At the same time, Armando is obsessed with his father, who ran away and has now returned to Caracas.

The dynamic shifts. Now Armando avoids him while Elder chases him, waiting for him. Elder has fallen in love, and finally, they have full sexual intercourse.

VENEZUELA

According to Lorenzo Vigas, Desde allá – From Afar is a universal story, valid everywhere. It could have happened in Vienna. (7)

In reality, it is difficult to imagine such events in Vienna; if they did occur, they would take on completely different characteristics. Venezuela is the backdrop. Posters with Maduro's face are plastered on the walls.

CARACAS

“Sí creo que la ciudad de Caracas es un personaje más en la película, y fue una decisión adecuada ubicarla ahí.” (8)

Caracas takes on the role of protagonist. Its streets are full of people, hopeless youths waiting for something impossible. Meanwhile, they devote themselves to a life of crime. Clashes are violent and frequent. Any pretext is enough to spark a fight or even to kill someone over the most trivial reasons.

According to the research site Numbeo, Caracas is the third most dangerous city in the world. Walking alone at night is essentially equivalent to suicide. (9)

The capital's condition is confirmed by the author himself:

'Furthermore, crime has increased dramatically in the last five years: it has not always been like this, but today, after 8 p.m., there is no one left on the streets of Caracas; it is not a safe city, and everyone locks themselves indoors. When you are shooting a film, you have to take a thousand precautions, but at the same time, it is one of the most interesting cities in South America right now for making a film, and this tension between social classes helps tell new stories' (10) (Author’s translation)

Lorenzo Vigas does not hide the situation and uses it to accentuate the characters' contours. Caracas then becomes a parallel between two additional characters. Elder is a street kid, a son of Caracas; without that city, he would be a different person. Elder is surrounded by a loose, careless girl and many fake friends: "Give me three hundred notes and I'll pass you the information."

Apart from the issue of crime, Caracas has a special, unique charm; it dictates characters' actions. Elder's violence is encouraged by the fateful metropolis; the brawl in the bar takes on a narrative function.

HOMOSEXUALITY

How important is homosexuality in the story? According to the director, it is not an essential element:

't is not film about homosesualtiy it is a film about emotionality need.' (11)

Rather than Elder, Armando could have met a sixty-year-old widow and fallen in love with her:

'Creo que no es, en absoluto, una película gay, sino sobre necesidades emocionales, carencias emocionales. Si a Elder, al joven de la calle, lo hubiera cuidado como lo cuida, una señora de 60 años, en lugar de Armando, y le hubiera hecho lo que le hace, Elder se hubiera terminado enamorando de esa señora.' (12)

Elder is profoundly lonely, and above all, he lacks affection. It does not help him to have an easy girlfriend and unreliable friends; he does not know love. He longs to be loved and to love. His date with Armando does not leave him indifferent. Armando passionately courts him. Elder gives in. Elder has beaten him and tried to rob him, but Armando accepts his masochistic courage. He throws himself upon him and drags him to bed, giving himself physically. If homosexuality is a coincidence, why did the author choose this type of male relationship? Above all, why does he present us with an atypical and frigid homosexual?

LATENT HOMOSEXUALITY OF THE TWO CHARACTERS

Something has left a profound mark on Armando's psyche. He does not hide his sexuality but lives it incompletely. He represses it until it erupts into tragedy in the epilogue. He is attracted to young people, but when they show him their willingness, he does not want to touch them or be touched. It is an almost virtual bond, like a voyeur's. His father sealed his fate; his escape castrated Armando. His refusal to have complete relationships, whether carnal or emotional, is his way of denying his homosexuality.

'But Armando does not let anyone touch him; he does not want to have any more contact with people, and when Elder decides to strike him in order to rob him, something happens in Armando's mind. This raises the question of whether a relationship between the two is truly possible. Elder will be the watershed between living and being a ghost on the streets of Caracas.' (13) (Author’s translation)

It is complete intercourse that instigates the vile response of the epilogue. Armando refuses to love just as his father refused to love him. Hence, his rejection of his own sexuality.

CHARACTER – ARMANDO

Armando's personality is rooted in anguished loneliness. He owns a spacious flat, but it lacks human warmth. Everything is tidy: he is an obsessive, incomplete, and fastidious man. He masturbates in a squalid manner, a pitiful act. He is a virgin, both physically and emotionally. He represses his instincts and his desire; his virginity stems from a lack of affection and a distrust of people. He has no love, no friends. He has a sister with whom he disagrees on how to deal with their father, who has reappeared after a very long time.

CHARACTER – ELDER

Elder penetrates Armando’s emotional void, slipping through a small crack. He actually thinks he has managed to get in, but he is forced to change his mind. By this point, Armando is beyond redemption.

During a conversation, the topic turns to their relationships with their respective fathers. Armando asks the boy if his father used to beat him, and the answer is he did. In contrast, Armando claims he was never struck.

If they had children, how would they behave? Elder's answer is ruthless: he would beat them because they would quickly learn the hardships of life. Armando is a liar: he would never do that. This dialogue is crucial to the story's conclusion.

Whilst Elder has a genuine nature, directly conditioned by a lack of love and a chaotic existence, Armando is worn out, tired, cynical, broken, false, and a liar.

Elder, in his simplicity, even introduces Armando to his mother. He wants to fill the emotional void.

CHARACTER – ARMANDO'S FATHER

He is a distant figure, framed only from afar. He is elegant and wealthy. He doesn't say a word. The conversation between Elder and Armando's father is merely suggested, forcing the viewer to reflect.

This man, however, is an obstacle in their relationship. Elder realises this, and Armando is not shocked when the boy proclaims, "I'll kill your father." Armando's treacherous nature emerges. He wants him dead. But being despicable and cowardly, he waits for Elder to do it.

LOS ELEFANTES NUNCA OLVIDAN (14)

This is Lorenzo Vigas’s short film, presented at Cannes in 2004. Guillermo Arriaga also collaborated on this production.

The setting is a rural area of ​Venezuela. A young boy, Juan, has bought a gun. With his older teenage sister, he wants to kill their father, Pedro.

The siblings were abandoned by their father, a man who had been violent towards their mother and his own daughter. Juan was too young when his father had left.

They find themselves with their father in the back of a truck. There are only the three of them. They look at each other. Pedro doesn't recognise them, but he feels like he has seen them before. He boasts that the villagers call him 'elephant,' because: “nunca me olvide una cara”. He recognises everyone's faces, but not those of his children.

When Juan confronts him with the gun, his father slaps him. Juan stands there, stunned, with the gun in his hand.

The short film highlights themes also found in Desde allá – From Afar.

The brother and sister live in separate homes. Their past and the relationship between father and children are unknown, suggesting violence, even sexual abuse, against the girl.

There is a desire to free themselves from the oppressive figure of the father. And this can be achieved through the only possible means in a society where brutality is a daily occurrence: shooting him.

Compared to Desde allá – From Afar, the contrast between city and countryside emerges.

Pedro is coarse, dirty, and scruffy compared to the elegance of Armando's father.

But in Los elefantes nunca olvidan, elements of the subsequent film are present.

It is the first chapter of the trilogy on love and father-son conflicts.

TRIPTYCH ON THE FATHER

The author develops an interest in the connections between children and fathers. A psychological motivation remains implicit. At the press conference in Venice, he jokes that people think he has a terrible father, bordering on legality. On the contrary, he describes a good relationship with his father, whom he defines as a present and affectionate parent.

Lorenzo Vigas himself defines the theme as an obsession:

“Luego se convierte en eso... Pero al principio es una fuerza paternal. Me obsesiona ese tema de la paternidad en un subcontinente donde los padres no están en la casa. Muchos países latinoamericanos son muy machistas, y la figura paterna está y no está. Se va. Son las madres las que crían y sacan la casa adelante. Quizás por eso me interesa tanto el tema.” (15)

Juan and his sister in Los Elefantes Nunca Olvidan could be Armando and his sister grown up. Their hatred for their father could arise at the same age and lie at the root of the same trauma of abandonment.

The desire for death becomes the means to resolve the generational conflict. It is the method used by Oedipus to resolve his own conflict: killing his father.

The main difference lies in the social context. The children in Los Elefantes Nunca Olvidan are poor and live in a rural village. Armando and his sister are wealthy and live in the capital. Despite this difference, their behaviours are similar. Generational conflicts are identical regardless of social class, context, and economic prosperity.

THE OPPOSITES

The author constructs numerous contrasts.

The two main characters are opposites. The director clearly shows this in a scene at Armando's house. He and Elder are having dinner. The house is pervaded by a sense of coldness. They are framed in profile, facing each other in a medium shot. Accentuating the separation is a pillar, an obstacle that neatly divides the scene and the two men. Elder eats noisily, quickly, with his mouth open, bent over his plate. Armando eats with elegance and refinement. The two are diametrically opposed, even socially. Armando is bourgeois, has a good job and has money. Elder comes from a poor family with no future.

Another contrast is confirmed by the director:

“ … society absolutely the opposite, Venezuela is very physical, hug each other, kiss each other, make love a lot and Armando loves only see, from distance, from far, and he doesnt allow anybody to touch him, i want to play with two contrast.” (16)

Armando rejects physical contact whilst Elder, in his exuberance, accepts eroticism to the fullest.

FINALE

In the finale, all the tragic contradictions explode. The characters reveal their distinctive traits.

The finale opens with a conversation between Elder and Armando's father. The boy wants to confront him personally, understanding Armando's suffering. He confronts him in the street. They are framed from afar, in a long shot; they are talking, but we don't know their words.

From this encounter, Elder's impulsive revenge is unchecked by Armando. Armando should be the mature person; he should stop Elder's action, but Armando consciously doesn't prevent it. It is Elder's gesture of love; he is capable of loving, while Armando is irredeemable in his indifference.

Lorenzo Vigas:

'I think one of the important things when making a film is to make the viewer think after they leave the cinema. However, I didn't think of this possibility when I wrote the film. Armando is emotionally unable to continue the relationship, and therefore he decides to reject it. I am glad, however, that this possibility exists in the minds of the audience.' (17) (Author’s translation)

The ending recalls the conversation about the hypothetical father's behaviour. Armando declared he was incapable of striking. Elder, on the other hand, was explicit in declaring the exact opposite. The liar is Armando. In the end, he beats Elder savagely, and, like his father, he disowns him.

It is a gesture similar to the slap given to Juan's father in Los Elefantes Nunca Olvidan. In both films, the parental figure continues to reject the child.

LANGUAGE AND STRUCTURE OF THE FILM

Armando dominates the narrative. He is the central character, assuming a dual role: abandoned son and symbolic father.

The film emphasises this dimension with the use of a soft-focus effect during his frantic searches. Only he is in focus; the rest appears unreal, almost theatrical, evoking a powerful literary quality.

Armando is often filmed from behind; we observe his back, his shoulders, a technique used to highlight his corrupted psyche.

The director shows empathy for Elder. He understands him and lets him vent. He is the predestined victim.

The violent language is not accidental. It is the direct consequence of the protagonists' behaviour.

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6. Giacomo Cosua, “Desde Allà: storia d’amore dell’esordiente Lorenzo Vigas”, la Repubblica,, https://xl.repubblica.it/articoli/desde-alla-storia-damore-dellesordiente-lorenzo-vigas/26049/ (accessed 4 May 2026)

7. celluloidVideo, “Lorenzo Vigas on DESDE ALLÀ / From Afar Golden Lion Venice Film Festival 2015», YouTube, 13 September 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQDU54naGm0, at 2'28'', (accessed 4 May 2026)

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11. celluloidVideo, “Lorenzo Vigas on DESDE ALLÀ / From Afar Golden Lion Venice Film Festival 2015,” YouTube, 13 September 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQDU54naGm0, at 3'38'', (accessed 4 May 2026)

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14. marea3, “Los Elefantes Nunca Olvidan”, YouTube, 14 November 2008, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GynEV9u61kw (accessed 4 May 2026)

15. Redacción, “3. Entrevista con Lorenzo Vigas, ganador del León de Oro en Venecia”, Correcamara, https://www.correcamara.com.mx/inicio/int.php?mod=noticias_detalle&id_noticia=5863 (accessed 4 May 2026)

16. celluloidVideo, "Lorenzo Vigas on DESDE ALLÀ / From Afar Golden Lion Venice Film Festival 2015", YouTube, 13 September 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQDU54naGm0, at 0'23'', (accessed 4 May 2026)

17. Giacomo Cosua, "Desde Allà: storia d’amore dell’esordiente Lorenzo Vigas", la Repubblica, https://xl.repubblica.it/articoli/desde-alla-storia-damore-dellesordiente-lorenzo-vigas/26049/ (accessed 4 May 2026)