Alfredo Castro, an absolute lead or co-star in seven Pablo Larraín films and one of the highest-regarded of actors in Latin America, is set to head the choral cast of “Three Dark Nights” (“Tres noches negras”), the third feature from Spanish-Chilean Theo Court.
“Three Dark Nights” follows up Court’s “White on White,” also starring Castro, an actor described by Variety as “reliably superb,” which won a best director and Fipresci Prize at 2019’s Venice Horizons. It went on to become Chile’s submission for the international feature Oscar, establishing Court as a talent to track.
In further news, Samuel M. Delgado, co-writer and co-director of “They Carry Death” and a writer with Court of “White on White,” has been brought on board as script consultant.
“Three Dark Nights” is one of the highest-profile of 15 projects which will be brought to market at September’s Europe-Latin American Co-Production Forum.
Like “White on White,” “Three Dark Nights” is produced by Spain’s El Viaje Films (“They Carry Death,” “Slaughterhouse”) and Chile’s Quijote Films (“The Settlers,” “Blanquita”).
“‘White on White’ considers a devastating chapter of South America’s colonialist history through the eyes of someone at once a perpetrator and an observer — tacitly asking, at a certain point, what the difference even is,” a Variety review observed.
Written by Court and Marina Alberti (“Aitana”), “Three Dark Nights” returns to social observance again nuanced and driven by genre.
“In ‘White on White,’ Theo referenced the Western as a genre, in order to construct the film’s cinematic universe, he now incorporates film noir into his newest film, crafting a detective mystery with overtones of a psychological thriller,” said Jamie Weiss at El Viaje Films.
The film’s three dark night take in a first, where the wedding of two Haitian day laborers ends with the groom’s death. On the second, suspicion falls on the hacienda owners and family grudges are unleashed. On the third, everything points to the devil….
“Three Dark Nights”is a campesino fable set in the 21st century in a small rural town in central Chile. It is a choral film, there is no main character, but rather a confluence of different actors and actresses. The film will combine internationally-known professional actors with non-professional actors from the region where the bulk of the film will be shot, highlighting the unique ways that these individuals inhabit a territory,” Court told Variety.
He added: “Alfredo Castro, an actor with whom I had the privilege of working in my previous film, ‘White on White,’ is one of these personalities that will portray the plurality of views that the film strives to establish. We are currently working on the international casting.”
“Campesino” refers to one of the distinct social classes portrayed in the film: landowners; campesinos – who work the land owned by the landowners; and the Haitian day labourers.
“Three Dark Nights” is produced by Alberti and José Alayón from El Viaje Films and Giancarlo Nasi and Alba Garivaghi from Quijote Films. Its development has been financed by the 2022 Ibermedia Fund for the co-development of feature films and by the Canary Islands Government.
Seen next in Pablo Larraín’s “El Conde,” a Venice competition contender, Castro, a prestigious theatre director, featured in Larrain’s debut, 2005 “Fuga,” and first caught overseas attention in Larraín’s own international breakout, 2008’s “Tony Manero.”
Castro went on to star in Larraín’s “Post Mortem” (2010), Cannes 2012 winner “No,” playing opposite Gael García Bernal and Berlin winner “The Club,” (2015), taking a featured role in 2016 “Neruda.”
Starring in Lorenzo Vigas’ “From Afar,” a 2015 Venice Golden Lion winner, Castro has scored six nominations in the 10 editions to date of Ibero-America’s Platino Awards, winning for 2018’s “Los Perros” and, in the supporting actor category, for 2021’s “The Prince” and 2022’s “Karnawal.”
