Sins of My Father

Pablo Escobar – the name incites images of secret jungle hideouts, lavish lifestyles, and overweight Spanish men doing lines of cocaine off large breasted, topless women. If that’s what you imagine when thinking of the notorious Colombian drug lord, then Sins of My Father is probably not going to satisfy you.

This documentary, forming one of the many fantastic films on offer at the Encounters film festival, explores the Escobar saga from the perspective of his family that were left to face the aftermath of his collapsed empire. More specifically the documentary follows the journey of Sebastián Marroquín (formerly Juan Pablo Escobar) son of Pablo and now exile of his native country. The film is essentially a story of redemption, as Sebastian seeks to reconnect with the sons of politicians, murdered in the wake of the intense violence inflicted on Colombia by the Escobar Empire. Filmed over the course of a four year period, the audience is witness to the emotional journey Sebastian embarks on, culminating in the climactic moment of meeting between him and his father’s former enemy’s son’s. Having been granted special access to the family’s personal archives, the documentary offers a rare glimpse into the personal life of Escobar, from home video’s of parties at the Mansion to a voice recording of the drug baron himself singing nursery rhymes – who would have thought?

I enjoyed the raw, ‘unpolished’ nature of the documentary. The incredibly moving footage that was captured over the four years, combined with original tapes of the family, meant that very little extra production value was needed. Some may criticise the film for losing momentum somewhat towards the end, although those are probably the people who were expecting more cocaine and strippers. In the end, the documentary offers a unique perspective on Escobar’s reign. If you want to do something ‘cultural’ with your Sunday evening – go watch this film! It will be showing for the third and final time this weekend at the V&A.