Institute History
Description
In his latest film, Alberto (Chicho) Durant, one of Peru's most talented writer/directors, tackles the rampant corruption in Peruvian society with humor and narrative invention. Durant introduces seven unscrupulous characters from different classes, each dreaming of getting ahead in Lima's stifled economy. A divorced broker, a "kept" woman, an aspiring director, a taxi driver, a hotel clerk, a maid, and a security guard cross paths when a master swindler lures them into his grand scheme.
What is most interesting—and most revealing—is their eagerness to buy blindly into the con man's empty promises and the high they derive from basking in the glow of his plentiful and multiplying lies. The con game turns into a two-way street, requiring willing gullibility on one side and wily audacity on the other. As the illusionist seduces with his sleazy charm, each character begins to deceive and manipulate as well. They become both victims and accomplices in this amazing sting. Set during the winter of 2000, Con Game depicts the collapse of President Fujimori's criminal government as both backdrop and metaphor for this bittersweet comedy.
Spirited, ironic, and packed with superb performances by an ensemble of Peru's most celebrated actors, Con Game concocts a deliciously slippery allegory for a world where cheating and stealing are often rewarded.