Tropical Malaise (Malestar Tropical) - the debut feature project by Swiss-Colombian director Jorge Cadena (widely acclaimed and awarded multiple prizes for his short films Flores del Otro Patio, Soeurs Jarariju and El Cuento de Antonia) - has won the Coprocity Development Award (read our news), which will be presented today within the Göteborg Nordic Film Market. We met with Swiss producers Gabriela Bussmann and Yann Decoppet to find out more.

Cineuropa: What are the key features of Tropical Malaise?
Gabriela Bussmann and Yann Decoppet: Tropical Malaise is the first feature film by director Jorge Cadena, which we had the good fortune to present in the San Sebastián Forum and Ventana Sur’s Proyecta in 2024. It follows on from his previous shorts, which are deeply rooted in Colombian realities, and it widens his cinematic approach to encompass contemporary social, political, environmental and queer issues. The film unfolds in northern Colombia, near Indigenous territories ravaged by the country’s largest open-pit coal mine, and brings together members of the Indigenous and LGBTIQ+ communities in an unprecedented alliance. Together, they embark on an exuberant struggle to defend their right to exist and protect their land. Juggling resistance, solidarity and visual power, the film is a vibrant testament to resilience and cultural survival. Tropical Malaise is a research-based fiction film with dreamlike undertones, co-written by Colombian screenwriters Jacques Toulemonde (Birds of Passage [+lee también:
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What drew you to this project?
The richness and quality of our previous collaborations with Jorge Cadena, which unfolded in the same artistic universe and were widely acclaimed in numerous international festivals, meant that we didn’t hesitate to support him on his first feature. His approach, driven by urgency and strong personal convictions, fully aligns with our desire to produce engaged films that are both politically grounded and visually ambitious.

Which partners are already on board? Are you looking for others?
From the development phase onwards, we started co-producing with the French company Still Moving (Juliette Lepoutre and Pierre Menahem), with whom we share common values and a genuine working synergy. Still Moving also have solid experience supporting emerging Latin American talents and boast a remarkable catalogue.

We’re also collaborating with Evidencia Films (Franco Lolli) for executive production in Colombia. Their expertise in international co-productions and in-depth knowledge of the region are particularly valuable for making the film on-the-ground. To complete financing, we’re open to bringing in a third co-production partner, preferably in Spain or Canada. We’re also interested in investors and sales agents, since the project’s scope and reach is resolutely international.

When do you plan to shoot?
Depending on the progress of financing, we plan to shoot the film in Colombia between autumn 2026 and spring 2027.

Do you already have leads for the cast?
As a fiction film rooted in reality, the cast will bring together professional and non-professional actors whose paths and experiences directly inspired the screenplay. The lead performers from the queer collective are already confirmed and will reprise the roles they played in the short film Flores del otro patio. Casting is also currently underway in the Indigenous region of La Guajira to bring the Wayuu characters to life through residents from the local communities directly concerned by the film.

Is this project representative of GoldenEgg Production’s editorial line? What else is on your slate? 
Tropical Malaise perfectly embodies the films we champion – engaged works driven by young filmmakers with strong visual ambitions. Our editorial line sits at the intersection between bold aesthetic and narrative ambition, and stories whose themes and questions are anchored in the contemporary world. We are currently finalising editing on the first feature-length documentary by Sophie Dascal, Keigei Kakocho (working title), which is co-produced by France (House on Fire) and Japan (Ume Films) and which offers up a sensory immersion into one of the last traditional Japanese whaling communities. Alongside documentaries, we’re currently developing three other fiction features, all driven by a strong artistic vision and significant international potential: After the Night, the Night, Naomi Pacifique’s debut feature about free love, developed with the Netherlands (GROM Productions, Lemming Film), which will be presented in the next Rotterdam Cinemart section; Comment-allez-vous? by Maxime Rappaz, which pursues the bold and sensitive brand of cinema showcased in his debut feature Let Me Go [+lee también:
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