''Diplomatic Immunity'' is a Canadian political thriller film, released in 1991. It marked the narrative feature film debut of
Sturla Gunnarsson
Sturla Gunnarsson (born August 30, 1951) is an Icelandic-Canadian film and television director and producer.
Gunnarsson was born in Reykjavík in 1951. He moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, with his parents when he was seven years old. As he ...
.
The film stars
Wendel Meldrum as Kim Dades, a Canadian diplomat working in
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
on a foreign aid program, who discovers that a community housing project paid for by the Canadian government has been overrun by the Salvadoran army.
["Film Review: Diplomatic Immunity". '']The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'', November 8, 1991. The cast also includes
Michael Hogan as Jack Budyansky, a Canadian expatriate living in El Salvador;
Michael Riley as Les Oberfell, an American who supports the Salvadoran army's
fascist
Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
tactics;
Ofelia Medina
María Ofelia Medina Torres (born 4 March 1950) is a Mexican actress, singer and screenwriter of Mexican films. She was married to film director Alex Philips Jr. and actor Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
Biography
She was born in Mérida and has four ...
as Sara Roldan, a local matriarch and community worker;
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
Pedro Armendáriz Bohr (April 6, 1940 – December 26, 2011), better known by his stage name Pedro Armendáriz Jr., was a Mexican actor.
Life and career
Pedro Armendáriz Bohr was born in Mexico City to Mexican-American actor Pedro Armendáriz ...
as Oswaldo Delgado, a Salvadoran politician who is far less interested in resolving the crisis than he appears to be; and Salvador Sánchez as Colonel Hernandez, the leader of the military contingent.
[
The film was shot primarily in Mexico, in conjunction with Estudios América. Written by Steve Lucas, who co-produced with Gunnarsson, the film personnel also included cinematographer Harald Ortenburger, composer Jonathan Goldsmith, film editor Jeff Warren, production designer Theresa Watcher, costumier Mónica Araiz and sound engineer José Antonio García. A young ]Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco ( , ; born 28 November 1961) is a Mexican filmmaker. He is known for directing films in a variety of genres including the family drama ''A Little Princess (1995 film), A Little Princess'' (1995), the romantic drama ''Gre ...
worked as first assistant director
The film garnered four Genie Award
The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for scu ...
nominations at the 12th Genie Awards in 1991: two for Best Supporting Actor (Hogan and Riley), one for Best Supporting Actress (Medina), and one for Best Original Score ( Jonathan Goldsmith).["Black Robe leads Genie nominees". '' Hamilton Spectator'', October 10, 1991.]
References
External links
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1991 films
Canadian thriller films
English-language Canadian films
Films shot in Mexico
Films set in El Salvador
Films directed by Sturla Gunnarsson
1991 thriller films
1990s Canadian films
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