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Rio de Janeiro-based Habanero Film Sales has snapped up the worldwide sales rights to “The Panama Canal Treaties – Son of Tiger & Mule” (“Hijo de Tigre y Mula”) in advance of its special screening at the Panama International Film Festival (IFF Panama).
The topical documentary has been doing gangbusters at the local box office since its theatrical release on March 13, now among the top four highest-grossing films in Panama. “We’re currently at number one, beating ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ and ‘Snow White,’ said its elated director, Annie Canavaggio (“Breaking the Wave”). “I was inspired to create this documentary after realizing that younger generations have come to take the Panama Canal for granted and are unaware of the challenges that were involved in reclaiming it from the U.S.,” she told Variety.
She tapped newsreels from the National Archives in Washington D.C. and the Carter Center, among other sources, she said, working closely with screenwriter Vicente Ferraz, editor Leyda Napoles and DP Carlos Arango.
“Son of Tiger & Mule” centers on the protracted negotiations that led to the fateful day on December 31, 1999, when the United States officially returned control of the canal to Panama, honoring the Torrijos-Carter Agreements. Behind the historic signing lay a complex web of international diplomacy and intrigue, orchestrated by General Omar Torrijos Herrera. This process, which spanned over 14 years, culminated in the agreements signed in 1977.
‘The Panama Canal Treaties’
Courtesy of Habanero Film Sales
According to Canavaggio, two of the key Panamanians involved in the historical negotiations, Aristides Royo and Adolfo Ahumada, will be participating in a talk after its April 6 screening at the IFF Panama.
The film’s relevance has grown as President Trump has raised concerns in Panama by suggesting that the U.S. might reclaim control of the Panama Canal. This all-important man-made waterway connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, significantly reducing travel time for international maritime trade.
“The times we live in are increasingly marked by conflict, cynicism and cultural battles in which history is usually manipulated to comply with political narratives and blatant disrespect of the international legal system,” said Habanero’s Alfredo Calviño.
“Human rights have always been integral to Habanero’s catalog but the increasing instability of global politics convinced us of the importance of amplifying our political lens. Against this backdrop, we are proud to present a documentary that sheds light on events that are right now in the global headlines,” he pointed out, adding: “The film has rallied massive audience support in Panama, and we know it will be eye-opening for many people abroad as well. We hope international programmers will see it as an opportunity to set the record straight on a crucial chapter of contemporary history.”
The documentary is a co-production involving Canavaggio’s Marina Prods. in Panama and producer Maria Neyla Santamaria’s Milagros Prods. of Colombia.
Canavaggio’s planning her next project to be her first fiction feature, “Irene,” based on her colorful family history, which will include archival reels to complement the fiction narrative.
IFF Panama runs from April 3 to 6 in Panama City.
