In the summer 1993, following the death of her parents, six years old Frida moves from Barcelona to the Catalan province to live with her aunt and uncle, who are now her new legal guardians. The country life is a challenge for Frida – time passes differently in her new home and the nature that surrounds her is mysterious and estranging. She now has a little sister for whom she has to take care of and has to deal with new feelings, such as jealousy. Often, Frida is naively convinced that running away would be the best solution to her problems. Yet, the family does what it can to achieve a fragile new balance and bring normality to their life. Occasional family outings to a local fiesta or a swimming pool, cooking or listening to jazz in the garden bring them moments of happiness. Slowly, Frida realizes that she is there to stay and has to adapt to the new environment. Before the season is over, she has to cope with her emotions and her parents have to learn to love her as their own daughter.
Bruna Cusi
Despite her young age, the Catalan actress Bruna Cusí is already considered to be one of the upcoming Spanish acting talents thanks to her main parts in Summer 1993 (2017) by Carla Simón and a new film by Agustí Villaronga (Pa Negre). In the past, Bruna played in the popular TV Show Polseres Vermelles (sold around the world as The Red Band Society) and several short films including It Girl and Tenemos que Hablar (We Need to Talk) which successfully travelled the international festival circuit.
David Verdaguer
Graduate of School of Theatre in Barcelona (2001-2004). He has previously worked with directors like Jordi Mesalles, Ferran Audí or Xicu Masó. In 2001 he cofounded the theatre company elnacionalNOensvol. He played in numerous Catalan TV shows including La Sagrada Família or Pop Ràpid. He is mostly known for his cinematic role in the Carles Marques-Marcet’s feature 10.000 KM starring Natalia Tena for which he received the Gaudí Award for Best Male Actor and was nominated for Goya Award for Best New Actor.
Jan Bijvoet - Theo
Jan Bijvoet was born in Antwerp in 1966. He has been one of the artistic directors and actors of the Antarctica Theater since 2005. He has also performed in film and television, guest-starring in a number of series. He has starred in the films AD FUNDUM, THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN (Academy® Award nominee), and BORGMAN (Official Selection – Competition, Cannes 2013). In 2007, he was nominated for the Flemish Culture Award of Scenic Arts. Referring to the German explorer who was the inspiration for his character, he reflects that even though Grünberg tried to integrate with the native people, he could not let go of his white spirit. “He had the western way of thinking, and he wanted to carry hundreds of things to study. Love is possession, too. He is also afraid of death. He doesn’t understand why, but it’s because deep down, he is a materialist since his formation, even though he tries to drift away from it.”
Brionne Davis - Evan
Brionne Davis was born in Texas and started acting at a very early age, playing Tom Sawyer. He has starred and taken leading roles in more than 30 independent feature length and short films and television series, including REST STOP: DON’T LOOK BACK (2008), DOROTHY AND THE WITCHES OF OZ (2012), Pandemic (2007), NARCISSIST (2014), SAVAGED (2013), and HOLIDAYS WITH HEATHER (2006). In New York, Brionne starred in the Theatre Row adaptation of Sam Shepard’s “True West.” He has appeared in many theater productions all across the country, including “Wallenburg” at the Soho Playhouse, “A Noble Exile” in Los Angeles and “Nueva York,” a one-man show that he wrote  and produced, inspired by the writings of Tennessee Williams. Davis’ character “Evan” in EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT was inspired by the great botanist and explorer Richard Evans Schultes, and he feels close to him in his love of and search for plants and nature.
Antonio Bolívar Savador - Old Karamakate
Antonio Bolívar Salvador is one of the last survivors of the Ocaina people. He resides near Leticia and has had some previous experiences in filmmaking, but he prefers not to speak about them because he feels that they were disrespectful to his culture. Besides playing one of the main characters, he also served as interpreter for the Tikuna, Cubeo, Huitoto languages and even English, as he became the teacher of the international actors. He represents the best of the Amazonian people: willing to trust foreigners, to transmit their knowledge and thankful to be treated respectfully. That’s the most important aspect of the film to him: “It is a film that shows the Amazon, the lungs of the world, the greater purifying filter and the most valuable of indigenous cultures. That is its greatest achievement.”
Nilbio Torres - Young Karamakate
Nilbio Torres has never set foot in a gym; his amazing physique has been sculpted by the hardships of the jungle and the hard work he’s done since he was little. The 30- year-old has only worked in agriculture and this is his first experience with the cinema. He has a hard time expressing himself in Spanish, as he speaks mostly Cubeo. But he manages to find words to tell what this experience has meant to him. He feels the film is faithful to the story of his ancestors. “What Ciro is doing with this film is an homage to the memory of our elders, in the time before: the way the white men treated the natives, the rubber exploitation. I’ve asked the elders how it was and it is as seen in the film, that’s why we decided to support it. For the elders and myself it is a memory of the ancestors and their knowledge.”
Yauenkü Miguee - Manduca
Yauenkü Miguee was born and raised in Nazareth, a Tikuna community of the Amazon, 26 years ago. He is now a student of physical education in Bogotá and is about to achieve his greatest goal: to become a professional. He defines his participation in the film as a new experience in his life, this time from the field of art and corporal expression, which reinforced his thinking and showed him how to see life from different perspectives. He believes this film should be shared not only with the people of the locations, but all across the country, with all the indigenous peoples in Leticia and the Amazon, with the leaders, in schools and universities. He is the voice of many Manducas, a voice that, far away from the so-called civilization, cries out for a more civilized attitude towards Colombia’s indigenous communities.
Carla Simón - Writer / Director
Carla Simón (1983) studied at the University of California and the Audiovisual Communication Department of Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona. After that she directed TV series and programmes for TV Catalan. After being awarded the prestigious scholarship of Obra Social “la Caixa”, Carla moved to the UK to study at the London Film School, where she wrote and directed the documentary Born Positive and the fiction Lipstick, both short films selected in numerous international film festivals. Summer 1993 is her feature film debut produced by Inicia Films and co-produced by Avalon. The project was developed at Berlinale Script Station, Ekran program in Poland, Sources 2 in Barcelona and won the SGAE screenwriting fund. It was also presented at the Low Budget Film Forum in Les Arcs, Premiers Plans Atelier, Berlinale Co-Production Market and won the first prize in Holland Film Meetings in 2015. The film also received the MEDIA Development funding and the ICAA fund for production. In 2013 Carla created Young For Film!, an association which taught cinema to children and teenagers. Since moving back to Barcelona, she has been collaborating with “Cinema en Curs”.
Incia Films - Producer
Founded in 2006, Inicia Film is a Spanish independent producer company based in Barcelona. After many years of being involved in the audiovisual production industry, Valérie Delpierre creates her own company with the aim of developing projects, main focus at the International co-productions and the development of new talent. Inicia Films is dedicated to produce documentaries, short films and feature films. Our last productions as Thy Father’s Chair by Alex Lora & Antonio Tibaldi, Feature Documentary, was Premiered at IDFA 2015 and selected and awarded at the most prestigious festivals. The Interpreter - Antonio P. Molero, with the support of MEDIA, ICAA, ICEC and Lichpunt World was Premiered at Montréal World Film Festival 2015. The feature The Treasurer (B) by David released on 2015 was nominated at Spanish Acdemy Awards in differents catgories and awarded at several national prizes after participating to national & international festivals.
Avalon P.C. - Co-Producer
Avalon was founded in 1996 by Stefan Schmitz. Over these twenty years, the company has become one of the most innovative independent media groups in Spain. The company divided its different business areas in 2007 to include a production company founded by Schmitz and María Zamora (in the company since 2001), who became a partner and acts as executive producer. The distribution company was also founded and has since become a major player in art-house cinema in Spain (recent tittles: Elle, Son of Soul, Lobster). The company has produced 12 fiction features and 1 documentary and has strengthened its relationship with a great deal of young Spanish talent by producing debut films for the international market. Our films have competed in festivals such as Cannes, San Sebastián, Berlinale, AFI, Busan, Montreal or Mar de Plata.
