Paz Vega thriller “Death Has No Master” lands in Tokyo market

Paz Vega-starring Death Has No Master, a Venezuela-set thriller from director Jorge Thielen Armand, is participating in TIFFCOM's Tokyo Gap-Financing Market as producers seek to secure the final 30% of the $1.2 million -To secure the film's budget.

The film, which previously took part in the Venice Production Bridge Gap-Financing Market, stars Vega as a woman who returns to Venezuela after two decades to sell her family's cocoa plantation. The filming location was recently moved to Colombia. The story follows her character Carolina's confrontation with former workers who have occupied the country, leading to a dangerous power struggle that forces her to confront both the trauma of a past kidnapping and her own violent impulses.

The project is Armand's third feature film after the acclaimed films “La Soledad” and “La Fortaleza”. “My films are a means to examine a fractured identity – that of Venezuelans today – pieces of a puzzle that I hope will become a firm foundation to stand on, and that with time and distance a Deliver an image without cracks,” says Armand diversity. “I have been abroad for over a decade, but the violence in Venezuela continues to haunt me every day. Death Has No Master continues some of the themes of my previous work, but this film is told from the perspective of a woman who has lived in exile for 20 years. She is full of conflicting emotions – disenfranchisement, anger and at the same time the longing for a place to call her own – this is something all Venezuelans know after eight million people left the country, and this is what I relate to would like to translate this film.”

The director aims to explore the effects of corruption and class struggle in contemporary Venezuela. “Using the metaphor of a fight over a house, I want us to think about how a corrupt legal system creates a vicious cycle of violence,” says Armand. “What can we expect from a generation growing up in such an abyss where violence is omnipresent? In a country where everything is broken and the exodus doesn't stop, who deserves what property? My film will not provide answers, but it will bring such questions to light.”

Producer Stefano Centini of Volos Films Italia was impressed by Armand's unique approach to South American themes. “Jorge's previous films have demonstrated his talent as a filmmaker and his ability to talk about broader issues such as identity and politics from the perspective of everyday life,” says Centini, who previously directed Chilean filmmaker Felipe's Cannes-winning film The Settlers Gálvez produced. “Having lived in different countries, including Italy, he has gained enough experience to be able to tell stories from his country that can reach a wider audience,” Centini adds.

With filming scheduled for mid-2025, the team is aiming for a festival premiere in 2026. In Tokyo, the producers not only want to close the remaining financing gap, but also examine distribution options. Centini sees potential in the recent co-production deal between Japan and Italy, citing his experience with “The Settlers,” where Taiwan provided key last-mile funding and creative talent. Centini also operates Volos Films, based in Taiwan.

“We hope that Asia can once again be a new unexpected partner on this journey,” says Centini.

Armand is currently developing two additional feature films: an English-language film set in Canada and an Italian-Venezuelan co-production with Centini. The couple is also in the process of finishing a short film called “Pasta Negra,” which is set to hit theaters next year.