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Guatemalan Jungle Mystery at San Sebastián Forum
17 Aug
Summary
- Film debut centers on agronomist's search for absent father.
- Project selected for San Sebastián's Europe-Latin America Forum.
- Production blends Italian and Mexican creative forces.
Italian director Giorgio Giampà's feature debut, "Isabel Hernández," has been selected for the 2026 Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum at the San Sebastián Film Festival. This Italy-Mexico co-production, also backed by Madrefoca Cine, follows a young agronomist in Guatemala who seeks answers about the father who abandoned her.
Her search begins after seeing her father in a documentary about Latin American migrants in the U.S. The investigation leads her to two men recently deported by ICE, whose conflicting accounts shed light on her father's past and his disappearance. The narrative is deeply rooted in seven years of research Giampà conducted in Guatemala.
"Isabel Hernández" is scheduled to begin shooting in the autumn of 2027. The film has previously received support from TorinoFilmLab FeatureLab 2026 and the EAVE Producers Workshop 2025. Giampà intends to cast non-professional actors whose life experiences resonate with the story, reflecting the film's research-driven approach.
