Nuestro Cine: Meat is murder

"La Soga" (The Butcher's Son) is a gritty crime-drama film from the Dominican Republic that focuses on Luisito, a vegetarian butcher/assassin for the government. The film has been praised for its frenetic pace and performances by the likes of Paul Calderon yet most critics have panned the movie for its "banal narrative" and violent butchering scenes. For Manny Perez, the film’s screenwriter and the actor who portrayed Luisito, "La Soga" is based on several of his experiences. As he told the New York Daily News, it's no coincidence that Luisito is butcher who doesn't eat meat:

The pig story. On a trip [I took] to the Dominican Republic, my aunt had a little pet pig running around. I fell in love with it. Pigs are very smart animals, and they tend to hang around your legs and sit on your lap. The day before I was leaving, I hear screaming. I go outside and I see my uncle stabbing the pig and I'm like, "What are you doing?!"

He said, "We're doing a goodbye feast for you, and the pig is the feast." I've never eaten pig since.

"La Soga" is currently playing in theaters in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. In addition, please check out the trailer below:

Online Sources- New York Daily News, New York Times, NPR, "La Soga" official website