A Louis F. Dematteis and Dante Betteo Production
The Other Barrio
Directed by Dante Betteo
Starring Richard Montoya and Veronica Valencia
Friday, October 16th: 7pm and 9:30 pm
Saturday, October 17th, 7pm and 9:30 pm
Sunday, October 18th, 3:30pm and 6 pm
Thursday, October 22nd, 7:30
A Q&A with filmmakers and cast members will take place after the Friday and Saturday 7 pm screenings.
"The Other Barrio", the sold out Centerpiece Film of the 2015 San Francisco Independent Film Festival, returns to the Brava Theater on October 16th. This San Francisco noir starring SF homeboy and Culture Clash co-founder Richard Montoya, follows Roberto Morales, a San Francisco housing inspector, as he investigates a fatal fire at a residential hotel in the Mission District. Raised in the Mission, Morales resents the urban development eating away at the old flavor and character of The City, where evictions drive out many longtime residents of the barrio and expensive condos are being erected to house the tech industry workers inundating the neighborhood. Morales suspects arson in the hotel fire but is under pressure from his boss to report fire hazards as the cause. As he investigates further, he is drawn into a web of bribery, murder, and corruption that points to powerful real estate interests and City Hall. Along the way, he encounters the mysterious and beautiful Sofia Nido (Veronica Valencia), a long lost love from his past who is also the lawyer for her aunt, a powerful figure with ties to developers and politicians. Morales suspects Sofia and her aunt may be involved with the fire, but as he pursues his investigation, his attraction for Sofia grows at the same time a key witness turns up dead. Can he trust Sofia? Who is really behind this fire and others? Will he be silenced by the forces behind the fires before he can discover the truth?
With the dramatic SF cityscape as a backdrop and a nod to San Francisco film noirs of the past, "The Other Barrio" takes viewers deep into neighborhoods seldom seen on film while addressing timely issues of gentrification and the displacement of low-income communities. Adapted from a story by San Francisco Poet Laureate Alejandro Murguia and based on true events, this is SF Noir at its best: a tale of greed, murder, corruption, and justice.