Introduction

Sharing an interest in graffiti, a young skateboarder and his friend join a guerrilla art project. This humorous and breezy film not only portrays present-day Colombia through the country's youth culture but also provides various perspectives on music, religion, politics, and gender.
Set in the mid-sized city of Cali in southwestern Colombia, Los Hongos combines director Oscar Ruiz Navia’s personal memories and familiar places from his hometown with new encounters and experiences. The title, meaning “the mushrooms,” is intended more as a metaphor for decay and decomposition than drug-fueled hallucinations and euphoria. The overriding theme is the transition from death to life. Surrounded by art and music from several generations and faced with myriad political and religious concerns, two highly sensitive youths come face-to-face with the future when they stumble on a mushroom poking its head out of the ground. Their experiences provide insight into contemporary Colombia and the actors' performances are informed by a documentary touch. Feted at the Berlin Film Festival for his first film in 2010, Navia is now a leading light in Colombian cinema.