FIGHTING PROGRESS WITH FILM NOIR IN “WHAT HAPPENED AT THE RIO”
You may not intuitively think of inclimate weather as a benefactor of the Arts but it most certainly is. Cinematographer Jose Andres Cortes grew up in Bogota, Colombia where it is cold and rainy throughout most of the year. As a result, he became fascinated with watching movies rather than playing soccer. While other children were studying passing techniques and strategizing how to best kick a goal, Cortes became aware of how camera angles, lighting, and other aspects of storytelling affected his emotions when watching films. At first he was transported into the stories and then came to understand that there was an entirely different story taking place in the art of production. Jose refers to his home of Bogotá as a city where dreamers from all over the country come to forge and transform themselves into great artists and professionals. Years later with many films to his list of credits, Cortes served as the DP for a film about a defiant dreamer in “What Happened at the Rio” which is ...