Cheaters

WRITER: Libia Stella Gómez

ONE LINER: A suitcase full of money destroys the life of each person who steals it, passing from hand to hand without anyone being able to spend it proves that money is ultimately worth no more than life itself.

TAGLINE: ¿Vale más el dinero que la vida?

SYNOPSIS:

A bundle of money with which two peddlers intend to pay a bribe to Councilman Rodrigo de la Paz Remolina causes a number of misfortunes to anyone who touches it. The single mother Mary, the policeman Rene, the maid Lucila, the young assistant in a travel agency Amanda, the tourist employee Jose, the councilman Rodrigo de la Paz Remolina, the Lieutenant Paco, his wife Bertha, the owners of a party place Joaco and Rosita, the charitable neighbor Paz and Juan, the most roguish and cheater of all, see their lives completely destroyed. The only character who seems immune to the curse of the money packet is The Crazy Dude, who throughout the film goes through the scenes in laughter. The Crazy Dude, like the series, laughs at the value of money.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

WRITER: Libia Stella Goméz
FORMAT: Feature Film
GENRE: Black comedy
RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: Spanish
COUNTRY: Colombia
SHOOTING FORMAT: 2.35 l 4k

SCREENWRITER'S NOTE

This story delves into themes such as morality, temptation, and the consequences of unethical behavior. By portraying the lives of various characters from different backgrounds, it highlights how the allure of money can corrupt even seemingly the most virtuous individuals.

Mary, the single mother, might be driven to desperation by her financial problems, while René, the police officer, faces a moral dilemma when presented with the opportunity to accept a bribe. Lucila, the maid, might face a conflict of loyalties when confronted with the consequences of her employers’ actions, while Amanda, the young assistant, might struggle with her own ethical boundaries in the face of financial gain.

Meanwhile, the councilman, Rodrigo de la Paz Remolina, represents the embodiment of corruption in power, as he is willing to accept bribes at the expense of his constituents. The relationship between Lieutenant Paco and his wife Bertha might be affected by the moral complexity of their professions. Joaco and Rosita, the owners of the party venue, might lose their livelihood due to their involvement with black money.

Through the experiences of these characters, the story serves as a warning about the destructive nature of greed and corruption. The presence of the Madman adds a touch of irony and humor, as he is unaffected by the materialistic desires that consume the other characters, serving as a reminder of the fleetingness of wealth and the importance of maintaining perspective on what truly matters in life.

WRITER’S BIOGRAPHY

Libia Stella Gómez, born in El Socorro (Santander) is a film and television director, Master in Theory and History of Art and Architecture, candidate for the PhD in Art and Architecture and professor at the School of Film and Television of the National University of Colombia. Teacher of visual arts at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.

Screenwriter and Director of the fiction feature films:La Historia del Baúl Rosado (2005), Ella (2015), Un Tal Alonso Quijano(2020) and Coraje (2023).

Director of feature films: The Trail (2024) and I Call Them Souls (2025) Researcher and director of the feature documentary Arista Son (2011).

Screenwriter of the animated feature Por un Plato de Sopa (2023).

Screenwriter of the 2nd season of the series Erase una Voz season 2(2022) RTVC Play.

Voice director and co-writer of the podcast of the series Gravedad season 2, Señal Colombia (2021).

Screenwriter of the series Anímate a la Verdad. Comisión de la Verdad (2022).

COMPANY’S BIOGRAPHY

Red Collision, founded in 2017, is an audiovisual production company with over six years of experience that is reshaping entertainment with original films, exciting genre series, and top-notch production services. In 2020, they produced their first feature film called A CERTAIN ALONSO QUIJANO, directed by LIBA STELLA GÓMEZ with the support of Dago García Producciones and Caracol Televisión; it was released in 2021 with a digital strategy, reaching over 500,000 viewers.

They have a SLATE of projects in development for sale. Their feature film “El rastro” is a police thriller that won the FDC in the post-production category and will be released in 2024. They currently have 4 other projects underway, 2 of them in the post-production phase: “Les Digo Almas” and “Enemigo en el Espejo,” and 2 scheduled to be shot in 2024, all of them with a planned release between 2025 and 2026.

Red Collision introduced “Red Script Factory” in 2024, a dynamic writers’ room focused on continuous development of ideas, crafting captivating stories and epic scripts to revolutionize original content. With a wide portfolio of projects in development for sale, Red Collision Studios is here to redefine storytelling excellence.

LOOK AND FEEL

CHARACTERS PROFILE

A 65-year-old homeless man. He lives in a sewer in downtown Bogota, and his way of subsistence is based on recycling and eating what he finds in the garbage. He has a psychiatric problem, is disconnected from reality, which causes him to laugh constantly.

He is a 64-year-old man who at some point in his life worked for a security company as a bodyguard, and that’s where he met the Councilman. He has been the Councilman’s personal bodyguard for many years, but at the same time, their friendship turned into complicity to commit crimes. Juan lives in a low-income neighborhood, but he makes his money getting the “work” and “deals” done which in turn allows the Councilman to commit crimes without being found. Juan is a very intelligent and cunning man.

Young woman, 28 years old. Daughter of Lieutenant Paco and Bertha. She is an only child. She studied Tourism, although her father had hoped she would become a police officer like him, and her mother had hoped she studied a career that would give them more financial reach. She has never had a good relationship with her mother, who focused her upbringing on making her a strong and tough woman like herself, but Amanda relates closer to Paco’s calm and submissive temperament. She is attractive and draws attention.

A 35-year-old young man. Husband of Pilar, they have known each other since high school, where they also studied with Mary. He is a charming man, but unfaithful and misogynistic. With a lower-middle-class background, he made his way through his work, studying tourism administration at SENA (National Learning Service). He is sharp, cheerful, and talkative.

At one point, he was a bus driver. He is a 65-year-old man from a working-class background who has made cheating a way of life. While representing the transportation union, he gradually built a political career that took him from being aedile to a formal councilor. He is not a cultured man; he is the typical corrupt man in a suit and tie.

Second Corporal of the National Police of Colombia. He is 25 years old and has been in the Police force from a very young age. He is shy, introverted, naive, and clumsy. From a working-class background, he is upright in his actions, he lives in economic hardship, so he will not miss any opportunity to make some extra money.

A 34-year-old woman. She studied with Jose and Pilar at a public school. She has worked in different jobs since graduating, such as a construction materials saleswoman and an employee at an empanada shop. She married the wrong guy, who abandoned her a few years later and does not provide for their child’s support. Since losing her job, she has been going through difficult economic conditions. Perhaps she was pretty at some point, but the hardships of life have taken a toll on her appearance.

A stern 55-year-old matron, with a strong, authoritarian, furious, explosive character. She is not affectionate. She is transparent and sincere, but harsh with everyone, even those she loves. Very used to business from a young age, she has built up capital through real estate. She is the one in control and holds the reins of her household.

Captain of the National Police, 50 years old. Unlike his wife, he is a calm, peaceful, affectionate, good father, good police officer, generally a good person – human being and charitable. While he contributes his salary to the house finances, his wife Bertha is the one who manages the finances and controls the household.

A 30-year-old young woman, Pilar’s sister. They grew up in a working-class neighborhood and studied at a public school. She is a feminist. She has a cheerful, extroverted personality.

A 24-year-old young woman, not attractive. She succumbed to Jose’s charms since she was 17, back in high school. She studied accounting at a university corporation and works from home. She would like to have children, but she can’t, which makes her feel frustrated. She knows her husband is unfaithful, but she cannot find the courage to end the relationship, that is until she does.

A young woman, 22 years old, who recently finished high school and left her home. She lives alone and works as a domestic worker to support herself. She is ambitious and self-interested. She will give her love to the highest bidder, to whomever can guarantee her economic well-being. She has sold the shy Rene on the idea that she is a virgin and will continue being so till marriage, but she has no problem engaging in relations with Juan. She is a thief that considers wealth to be very poorly distributed.

Street vendors, 45 and 50 years old respectively. Apparently they represent the street vendors, but in reality they own the business for a large part of the merchandise sold through these vendors in downtown Bogota. They have an entire mafia set up and are willing to do whatever it takes to preserve their business.

They are the owners of the salsa and rumba business La Sucursal del Paraíso, 35 and 40 years old respectively. They are a harmonious couple, lovers of salsa. Both are professional dancers who, over the years, ended up opening a nightclub business, therefore they combine their original profession with the business, turning their dance show into the business main attraction.