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COPROCITY 2024

Duván Duque • Producer of Stink Eye

“I was surprised and excited by such a unique portrayal of contemporary girlhood”

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- The Continente Pictures head discusses his work with director Cristina Sánchez Salamanca on the project that won the Coprocity Development Prize in November

Duván Duque  • Producer of Stink Eye

Colombian producer Duván Duque (of Continente Pictures) lifts the veil on Stink Eye, the debut feature-length project by his fellow countrywoman Cristina Sánchez Salamanca, which took home the Coprocity Development Prize in November (see the news). The project is also being staged by Paola Pérez for Inercia Películas and co-produced by Mireia Graell for Spanish outfit Ringo Media.

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Cineuropa: Could you introduce the project? What is the story about?
Duván Duque:
Stink Eye is Cristina Sánchez Salamanca's first feature. The film follows 13-year-old Nina during the weeks in which she is forced to live with her new stepmother, an extremely attractive influencer whom she believes wrecked her home. She’s a woman who, for the first time, awakens in her insecurities she never knew existed about her body. This body-centric dramedy portrays Nina's overwhelming exploration of identity and sexuality as she inadvertently finds an unexpected refuge in that woman who seemed tailor-made for her to hate.

Why did you get involved with this project?
As soon as I read the script, I knew I wanted to be part of Stink Eye. I finished it right away, surprised and excited by such a unique portrayal of contemporary girlhood, especially within our national industry. It was also right in the sweet spot I like to go after, between arthouse and commercial, and I feel can contribute greatly to that elusive encounter between Colombian cinema and its audience. As neither Cristina nor I had made a feature yet, we decided to make Baby, a proof-of-concept short that premiered at Tribeca in 2022. Stink Eye has been mutating and growing with us over these past few years.

Which partners are already on board? Why did you choose them? Are you looking for any others?
Cristina studied at ESCAC and wanted to work with a bunch of female heads of departments whom she met during her time there. For this reason, and because of our desire to make Catalina, the stepmother, someone coming from outside of Colombia, we felt a co-production with Spain made sense. We met Mireia Graell, from Ringo Media, at Ventana Sur, and very quickly felt she was the perfect fit to come on board. Paola Pérez, from Colombian production company Inercia Películas, joined the team soon after that, bringing years of experience producing features to the table. We're in conversations with possible co-producers from a third country, as well as sales agents, but are still open to options. 

When is the shooting ideally scheduled?
Shooting will ideally start during June 2026.

What about the casting? Do you already have anyone specific in mind?
After casting girls for Nina's role for both Baby and a teaser we shot recently, we've kept in contact with some incredibly talented options. Kids that age change quite a lot from one semester to the next, so we know we'll have to be patient and make decisions closer to the shooting date. We're also looking at options in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries for Catalina's role, which is perfect to bring a top talent on board.

Is this project in line with the company's editorial policy?
Stink Eye is a continuation of that world we started building together with Cristina in Baby. It also has the qualities of the type of cinema we've been making, both in our previous shorts and the projects we're developing, and with which we hope we can bring a breath of fresh air to our national industry.

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