Educational Media Reviews Online

After an explanatory introduction outlining the hardships endured by the Colombian people due to the long fought guerrilla war waged by the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), the first scene of Miguel Courtois Paternina’s political thriller opens on a close up of a disheveled, unshaven man under interrogation. Crisanto Tovar tells a jungle tale of love and doomed struggle, begging only to be reunited with his family.

Based on actual events involving the kidnapping of Clara Rojas and Ingrid Bettancourt by the FARC, the story of poor coca farmer Crisanto, his child bride Liliana and their family is one of biblical proportions.

Their peaceful if hardscrabble existence is sorely threatened when they are set with the impossible task of healing a very sick infant in the jungle without proper medical help. The family continuously demonstrates their love and devotion for each other throughout harrowing challenges from both the rebels and the government. In the end, they triumph by remaining a family, despite death threats, torture, and imprisonment.

The film is visually captivating, with scenes of rich jungle settings and colorful festivals. It is also exciting and suspenseful, capturing the close attention of the audience until the final scene.

Spanish actor Luis Tosar prepared for his leading role by living for a time in the Colombian jungle, and his rich performance masterfully portrays a flawed yet heroic man, struggling mightily for his family throughout overwhelming hardships.

Operation E won Best Film at the Cibra Film Festival, and also appeared at the Cartagena, Biarritz, Warsaw San Diego Latino, and San Sebastian International Film Festivals.