Pelo malo

Bad Hair

Mother and son face personal crises amid inner-city turmoil in this nuanced, wonderfully spirited and touching coming of age story

Winner of The Golden Shell (best picture) at San Sebastian Film Festival, Pelo Malo (Bad Hair) is the intimate story of a nine-year old child’s initiation into life and his difficult journey marked by intolerance. It features exceptional lead performances from Samuel Lange and Samantha Castilo.

Junior, a nine year old boy, lives in Caracas in a shoddy apartment complex with his mother and baby brother. He has “Pelo Malo” - Hispanic for curly, unruly hair, which he constantly attempts to straighten using various methods, including smearing a mixture of mayonnaise and other ingredients into it. His hair is a constant source of frustration for both himself and his mother, who does not approve of his obsession with his looks, believing that it is not normal behaviour for a young boy of his age.

Mariana Rondón, born 1966 in Barquisimeto, is a Venezuelan cinema director, screenwriter, producer and visual artist. She studied at Escuela International de Cine Y Television in Cuba, and later animation in France.

In 1990 she created the Andean Multinational Company “Sudaca Films” together with other Latin American filmmakers. Among her works are Calle 22, a short film which won an award at the Biarritz Festival in 1994 and A la media noche y media in 1999.

In 2007 she produced and directed Postales de Leningrado (Postcards from Leningrad), an autobiographical film, which was awarded the Abrazo Prize at the Latin American Cinema and Culture festival in Biarritz.

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