Killing journalists can’t kill the truth — or can it?
This chilling question comes to mind in the new film “Cocodrilos,” a Mexican thriller that takes a fictionalized approach to highlighting the real-life dangers that journalists and media workers face when covering organized crime.
Directed by Mexican filmmaker J. Xavier Velasco, the drama made its world premiere on Sunday at the 41st Chicago Latino Film Festival and is the director’s first feature-length film.
“I believe fiction is a medium that can reach more people than a documentary,” said Velasco in a Zoom interview ahead of the film’s debut.
Set and filmed in the coastal state of Veracruz, Velasco’s home state — a hotbed for journalist assassinations — the tropical noir flick follows budding photojournalist Santiago Ortiz (played by Hoze Meléndez) as he unravels the details surrounding the assassination of his beloved mentor, Amanda González (Teresa Sánchez). As Ortiz begins to pull the threads of her final investigation, he risks everything, including his own life, to uncover the truth.
“[‘Cocodrilos’ is] an homage to the journalists, these folks that risk their lives, who dedicate themselves to a job that can truly lead them to death,” said Meléndez.
To prepare for the gravitas of the lead role, Velasco handed Meléndez the book “Romper el Silencio,” a collection of testimonies by living journalists who delineate the risks involved in uncovering the violence and corruption inherent in the narcotic trafficking world.
“I get goosebumps thinking of that book, because it’s very difficult to digest,” said Meléndez. “The courage of journalists is something that needs to be recognized, not just because it’s a job in which you risk not only your own life, but also the lives of those close to you.”
While the “Cocodrilo” storyline is not based on any one journalist’s story, it is inspired by the various real-life threats that continue to plague Mexican media in the present day. According to a joint 2024 report by nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists and Amnesty International, at least 141 journalists and other media workers have been killed in Mexico since the turn of the century, making it the most dangerous country for journalists in the Western Hemisphere. Mexico is also the country with the highest number of missing journalists in the world.
Born in Xalapa, the deadliest Mexican city for journalists, Velasco was especially moved to action by the murders of two local journalists: crime reporter Regina Martínez, who was killed in her home in Xalapa in 2012, and photojournalist Rubén Espinosa, who was killed in Mexico City along with four women in 2015, an investigation that has been dubbed the Narvarte case.
“What really caught my attention was how the discourse was being handled. Due to questions of empathy and the impact of violence, it occurred to me to talk about the subject,” said Velasco, whose 2011 short, “Juan y la Borrega,” touched on similar themes of organized crime violence. In 2019, Velasco penned the script for “Cocodrilos” with the help of his sister and author, Magali Velasco, who later wrote a 2024 book by the same name.
Though the film touches on a delicate subject matter, it does not expose the public to the specifics of such grisly acts associated with the cartels. Instead, the film transmits threats through symbolism in objects left behind such as shoes, pieces of tattered clothing and other elements that Mexicans can identify with. Said Velasco, “Imagine the worst that’s behind that, right?”
“I was interested in approaching the topic from a position of respect, not a position of revictimizing,” said Velasco. “To avoid this sensationalism, the over-exploitation of violent images had to be avoided at all costs.”
While Velasco and Meléndez know that the killing of journalists will resonate deeply with Mexican nationals, they hope the subject matter will speak to the dangers faced by storytellers around the world. Velasco took care to mention the Israel-Gaza war, in which at least 173 journalists and media workers have been killed since October 2023 — marking the deadliest period for journalists since the Committee to Protect Journalists began tracking violence against journalists in 1992.
“ There is an attack on the mediums, nonprofit news outlets, on the truth. There is an attempt to coerce the communicators who are trying to say the facts,” said Velasco. “There are tremendous issues that are happening globally, not just in Gaza, but also in the United States.”
Before the film premieres elsewhere, there will be an additional screening of “Cocodrilos” on Tuesday, April 8 at the Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema in Chicago. It will be followed by a Q&A session with Velasco and Meléndez.
The post New film ‘Cocodrilos’ honors missing and murdered journalists in Mexico appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
