First Trailer for Ciro Guerra's Film 'Birds of Passage' Playing at Cannes

"Ask yourself, where does your loyalty lie?" Another appealing new trailer for a film that is premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, in the Directors' Fortnight sidebar. Birds of Passage is the latest film made by Colombian filmmaker Ciro Guerra (Embrace of the Serpent, The Wind Journeys, Wandering Shadows), co-directed with Cristina Gallego. The film's cast is a mixture of professional and non-professional actors, including Natalia Reyes, Carmiña Martínez, José Acosta, and José Vicente Cotes. The film is shot in the La Guajira desert in northern Columbia and tells the story of an indigenous Wayúu family throughout the smuggling and cannabis boom of the 70s. Guerra says, "it was a major production, we had thousands of extras, a large crew. It's an epic story. We have never attempted something so complex before. It demanded a lot from everyone." This trailer is an incredible introduction, with some seriously impressive footage here.

Here's the first trailer (+ poster) for Cristina Gallego & Ciro Guerra's Birds of Passage, from YouTube:

Birds of Passage takes place in Colombia in the 1970s, when the demand for marijuana hits Colombia, quickly turning farmers into seasoned businessmen. Unfolding in the Guajira desert, the film follows an Wayuu indigenous family who takes a leading role in this new drug trade, and discovers the perks of wealth and power, but with a violent and tragic downside. Birds of Passage is co-directed by filmmakers Cristina Gallego (a producer / editor) & Ciro Guerra (director of the films Embrace of the Serpent, The Wind Journeys, Wandering Shadows previously). The screenplay is written by Maria Camila Arias and Jacques Toulemonde. The film will be premiering at the Cannes Film Festival this May, in the Directors' Fortnight sidebar. The film has no other release dates set just yet, stay tuned for updates. First impression?