Los Jefes, new film due to be released in Mexico Thursday

Translated by Otis B Fly-Wheel for Borderland Beat from an El Pais article

[ Subject Matter: Release of new film "Los Jefes", "The Bosses"
Recommendation: No prior subject matter knowledge required]

The film Los Jefes that will be released in Mexico this Thursday, wants to show the reality of organized crime in the North East Zone of Mexico

Two young men in the Ghetto, they are trying to buy marijuana, in one of the zones with major activity of organized crime in the State of Neuvo Leon. This was the idea that the leader of the hip-hop group Cartel de Santa had when he contacted the director of the film, Jesus Rodriguez, Chiva MF, he wanted to show the world what life is like in the "Barrio", where the rapper was born.

He does it through the eyes of two friends, who never imagined how this scenario would play out.
In this way "Los Jefes" was born, a film dreamed up in the mind of Eduardo Davalos Luna, Babo, originally meant as an online mini-series it ended up be a feature film that will be released this Thursday at major cinemas in Mexico.




The protagonists are members of the "Cartel de Santa" and some friends, like El Millionaro, another famous rapper from Mexico that has collaborated several times with them, who plays in the film a third rate drug dealer nicknamed "El Bomba", there are no professional actors. "Babo" uses his friends in the film, they are not Sicario's but all have served time in prison, said the director.

Cartel de Santa, a group who have spent 20 years on the streets where the film was made. Made by Babo and Roman Rodriguez, better known as Mono. In their songs, the band speak about the deceit and secrecy of crime, drugs, Sicario's and assassinations. Babo was himself imprisoned in 2008 for shooting and killing a man during a fight. He was convicted of unintentional homicide and served 8 months in prison and was released with an 8000 dollar fine.

"To me, nobody can tell me what life is like in the barrio, and I know what the criminals do, in one of the most dangerous zones of Federal District, Tepito. For the Director, he wanted to limit himself to only giving technical orders. "Its him who knows this place well. I had never seen a thug in my life. I go to these places, I could be going to Santa Muerte. But I'm not there, says Chiva MF, native of Monterrey, as they film several Cartels.

"Los Jefes, addresses the issues from the perspective of the Sicario's. It speaks of how they operate from the inside and how they recruit their ranks from the local youngsters," explains the Director. "With this film, we try to get close to reality, but I don't believe that this film, or any film, can get close to what really happens in a country with issues of drugs and organized crime".

Monterrey lives this, especially since 2006 until 2012 was strongly run by the narcos. The violence and the death that caused the rupture between the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas turned the towns and villages bloody. One of the worst episodes being the attack on the Royale Casino in 2011 where more than 50 people died.

The film, made in these zones in 2012, starts with two young friends. One of them the son of a businessman, a student at the private University of Monterrey, he wants to smoke marijuana, and asks for help from a guy who valet parks vehicles. This leads him to Santa Catarina, where he realizes this was not a good idea.

"Hey dude, you wanted to buy marijuana in the Iron Palace? ( a Mexican prestigious Department Store).

Here is the video synopsis in Spanish for those who speak it. But even if you don't you will recognise parts of it from the article above.

Original article in Spanish at El Pais