Bajo la sal (2008)

Director:

Mario Muñoz

Writers:

Mario Muñoz (writer)
Angel Pulido (writer)

Release Date:

17 October 2008 (Mexico)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Some things should be kept beneath.

Plot:

A series of murders leads commander TRUJILLO to Santa Rosa de la Sal a town close to a salt mine, where he meets VÍCTOR ZEPEDA...

Plot Keywords:

Investigation | Detective | Death | Doll Animation | Serial Killer

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Humberto Zurita	...	Comandante Trujillo
Plutarco Haza	...	Prefecto Dominguez
Emilio Guerrero	...	Jefe Salazar
Irene Azuela	...	Isabel
Ricardo Polanco	...	Victor Zepeda
Moises Arizmendi	...	Cabo Montoya
Julio Bracho	...	Prof. Magaña
Blanca Guerra	...	Guadalupe Calva
Juan Carlos Barreto	...	Sr. Zepeda
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Damayanti Quintanar	...	Brenda

Directed by
Mario Muñoz

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mario Muñoz		writer
Angel Pulido		writer

Produced by
Marcela de Alba	....	producer: Mandaraka Estudios (stop motion segment)
Raymundo Díaz-González	....	executive producer
Walter Navas	....	producer
Roberto Jurado Rebora	....	producer: Mandaraka Estudios (stop motion segment)

Original Music by
Federico Bonasso

Cinematography by
Serguei Saldívar Tanaka

Film Editing by
Jorge García

Casting by
Manuel Teil

Set Decoration by
Ocatvio Martinez

Costume Design by
Marylin Fitoussi

Makeup Department
Nury Alamo	....	assistant makeup artist
Francesca Dalla Benetta	....	special makeup effects artist
Roberto Ortiz	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Rodrigo Calderon	....	unit production manager
Carlos A. Morales	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Juan Obregon	....	assistant director

Art Department
Felix Barbosa	....	miniature construction

Sound Department
Raul Atondo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Bidault	....	sound editor
Eric Dounce	....	sound designer
Jeronimo Gorraez	....	foley artist
Jeronimo Gorraez	....	sound effects editor
Enrique Greiner	....	sound designer
Enrique Greiner	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paulina Louvier	....	sound post-production coordinator

Visual Effects by
Misael Barbosa	....	3d model artist (segment)
Guillermo Dupinet Bours	....	pre-vis character animator (segment)
Samuel Reyes	....	compositor: Mandaraka Estudios
Samuel Reyes	....	rotoscoper: Mandaraka Estudios

Camera and Electrical Department
Michel Amado Carpio	....	director of photography: stop motion
Samuel Mendez Martinez	....	camera operator: animation segments
Roberto Jurado Rebora	....	camera operator: animation segments
Samuel Reyes	....	camera operator: animation segments

Animation Department
René Castillo	....	animation director
Samuel Mendez Martinez	....	stop-motion animator: Mandaraka Estudios
Samuel Reyes	....	additional animator

Editorial Department
Adriana Martínez	....	assistant editor
Jessica Valencia	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Diego Edgar Arias Gutiérrez	....	music coordinator
Herminio Gutiérrez	....	music supervisor

Thanks
Marla Guedimin López Pimentel	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Fidecine
• Peliculas Imaginarias
• Warner Bros. Pictures Mexico

Distributors

• Maya Entertainment (2009) (USA) (all media)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (2008) (Mexico) (all media)

Also Known As:

Under the Salt (International: English title)

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Filming Locations:

Guerrero Negro, Baja California Norte, Mexico

Company:

Fidecine

Movie Connections:

References Lolita (1962)

The surfacing of a thriller

Mexican cinema has never been known for its ventures into genre. Generally we are accustomed to the heavy socially oriented drama that reminds the rest of the world of the low capacities of this country. This was the old school, but it reigned for more than 5 decades. I am pleased to gather that this no longer reflects the present and the future of cinema in this country.

Bajo la sal, or Under the salt, is a compelling, if somewhat predictable slightly clichéd thriller that was premiered last night at the Morelia International Film Festival, and I had the pleasure to be at the red carpet. The director was there, along several actors and the screenwriter , they seemed quite surprised of the highly wide reception the film had with audiences.

Although the film is not without its problems, it worked. Humberto Zurita, a legend in Mexico, stars as a police detective who is now investigating a series of murders in a far town whose main trade is salt mines. The film explores the plots, lies and secrets a small town carries under its grass, a lá Blue Velvet.

One of the most interesting things about the movie are a set of dreamlike animations with dolls, that reflect the broken mind of the teenager who works at the funeral home. These set pieces will give something to talk about among moviegoers.

Overall, a nice effort, not the best thriller ever, perhaps in terms of Mexican cinema it is a milestone, but bot for the genre. Let us hope we are watching the first in a row of interesting, different and more daring Mexican cinema that is already at the door.