In his sophomore feature, David Zonana plunges into the dark underpinnings that propel military college-type institutions in Mexico (not much different around the world) with a film that provides an unflinching examination of moral corruption and normalcy in victimization thus reflecting the broader issues prevalent in his native Mexico. Serving as a subversive critical essay on violence, Heroico is the death by a thousand cuts of the soul and it asks whether a moral compass is even possible in modern day Mexico. When combined with his debut film (Workforce – 2019), which explored themes of social hierarchy and ownership, we can rely on this filmmaker to consistently produce the type of thought-provoking films that challenge and compel audiences to confront the current state of affairs.
Just prior to the film moving to the Berlinale, in my sit-down with David Zonana in Park City (during the 2023 Sundance Film Festival) I got to discuss some of the more disturbing elements of the film, how he went about researching a subject that is far removed from the public eye, and some of the moving camera aesthetic strategies he used alongside Carolina Costa.
