Anhell69: A Poignant Tribute to Medellín’s Queer Community Through Experimental Cinema

Anhell69 is a documentary and experimental film by Colombian director Theo Montoya, who creates a deeply emotional tribute to the queer community of Medellín. The film interweaves fragments of Montoya’s unfinished dystopian horror movie with real-life interviews of LGBTQ+ individuals, many of whom have tragically died by suicide or overdose since filming. Montoya’s fictional narrative features a haunting Medellín plagued by ‘spectrophilia’—a metaphorical condition where ghosts of the dead engage in relationships with the living—symbolizing the ongoing social violence and discrimination faced by the city’s queer population, remnants of the cartel-dominated past. Central to the story is Camilo, the chosen lead actor characterized by a melancholic yet tender outlook. Through this collage of gothic cityscapes, rave culture, protest footage, and appearances by figures like Colombian neorealist Víctor Gaviria, the film aims to break boundaries and promote a cinema of unbelievers, blending reality and fantasy. Despite some simplistic hopes voiced by participants, the work poignantly captures the struggle for queer identity and existence amid social adversity, offering a rare and powerful cinematic protest and vision for marginalized voices. Anhell69 will be available on True Story from September 5.