TORO NEGRO

Black Bull follows the ups and downs of second-rate bullfighter Fernando Pacheco. The man who calls himself "El Negro" or "El Suicida" – "The Suicide", travels through southeast Mexico, performing not in the large arenas, but at the festivities of small Mayan communities on the Yucatán Peninsula. These communities suffer stifling misery and poverty, despite being located only a few hundred miles away from tourist paradises such as Cancún. As in the ring, Fernando approaches his whole life with a reckless air that is sometimes stunning, sometimes plain appalling. While he can seem quite endearing and honest, Fernando is also a highly impulsive man. Bouts of substance and alcohol abuse frequently lead him to release extreme violence on the people around him – including his wife.

"Black Bull is an insightful, stirring and provocative documentary (…) The talented co-directors create an especially intimate environment; at times it seems they must be invisible to their subjects, as several of the moments they capture on film are hard to believe - and, at times, hard to stomach." Diana Sanchez, Toronto Film Festival

Awards: Best Film Horizontes Section, San Sebastian Film Festival 2005; Best Documentary Feature, Morelia Film Festival 2005; Best Documentary, Havana Film Festival 2005