Ignacio Castillo Cottin’s biopic El Inca is this year’s Venezuelan contender for a Golden Globe in the Foreign Language Film category. It’s the same film that almost a year ago was pulled out from Venezuelan theaters by a local court – according to Cottin,El Inca is based on the story of undefeated two-time World Boxing Champion Edwin Valero, aka El Inca. The film is a tragic biographical drama that talks about talent, charisma, love, ambition, excess and self-destruction. Valero is portrayed as the gifted Venezuelan former WBC super featherweight and lightweight world champion who won every fight of his professional career by knockout. But Valero’s life was also filled with personal demons, a man wrestling with substance abuse and an explosive temper. El He was imprisoned after he was arrested in connection with his wife’s murder and committed suicide in 2010.This is the second feature film by Castillo Cottin, a graduate of the University of Southern California. The Venezuelan court suspended the screening of the film twice after the heirs of the late boxer secured an injunction, citing defamation. According to the producers of the film, some of the judges involved in the case, as well as some members of the family of the boxing legend, have not seen the movie, despite claiming it violates their honor and right to privacy. According to the filmmakers, they met with various members of Valero’s family and offered them the screenplay. But the talks broke down when the family insisted on Valero’s brother Luis to play the lead. The producers cast Alexander Leterni in the role of the boxing legend.“The film is an artistic depiction based on a public figure; his life and death were fully followed and reported by local and international media. El Inca is an interpretation of this story in which the author exercises his right to freedom of speech. Moreover, through this tragic love story, it highlights one of the problems that afflict Venezuelan society: domestic violence”, says producer Nathalie Sar-Shalom in an official statement. The film was shot entirely in Venezuela, in Caracas and surrounding areas. That was a challenge as the film has a lot of locations in different countries that need to be credible. Also filming in Venezuela was itself a challenge given the unrest in the country.