Trailer

A Documentary Film

Three countries. One passion. Three hundred bodies climbing, reaching the sky to build a human tower — all for a touch of glory. In Mumbai, India, Sandeep, a coach with high dreams and a debilitating case of malaria leads his team of men to break the record and build India’s biggest human tower at the one-day Dahi Handi Festival. In Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain, a group of “castellers”, or climbers formed by men, women and children, dedicate their lives to reach the heavens and share their passion with the world following a tradition that goes back 400 years. An old legendary coach, Melilla, takes his passion to Santiago, Chile, hoping to empower and help the local groups to improve their performances while unifying them as a community. Pressed for time, Melilla needs to prepare the Chilean team for their first public performance at the Universal Forum of Cultures in Valparaiso where they will attempt the first seven-level tower in Chile. Helped by Luis, a very passionate scholar and leader of this initiative in Chile, they develop a plan that will become a symbolic first step to rebuild Chilean society from the bottom up through the human towers. The film cuts between the three countries leading to a major climatic scene that will take your breath away and keep you on the edge of your seats.

In Santiago, Mumbai, and Vilafranca del Penedès, all it takes is one shaky foot and the human tower falls, sending hundreds of bodies tumbling in the rain or into the mud or onto the crumbling pavement of a forgotten neighborhood. But the makers of these human towers keep starting again for the glory of seeing how high, altogether, they can go. A passion beyond race, borders, and ages. A global story of fearless skills and heart-bounding suspense of immense human towers. (75 minute Feature Documentary)

THE PASSION: Human towers are medicine for the soul. You risk your life for a moment of sublime camaraderie and community. Trust is paramount. All it takes is one shaky foot and the entire tower falls, sending you and hundreds of others tumbling into the air, onto each other and then onto the pavement. Building human towers is more than a quirky attraction, more than an international sport and more than a refuge for lost youth. It’s more even than a thirst for the glory of winning. A human tower, when done right, represents a unparalleled passion for human connection that goes beyond race, borders and ages. In this sense, the world’s best human tower builders represent all of us — all people, all communities, all nations — in our hope for a better future.

OUR STORY IN MAKING THE MOVIE: We wanted to make a hopeful and passionate documentary about human endeavors. The film captures three distinct cultures in separate parts of the world obsessed in making the tallest human towers in the world. The film captures suspenseful and heart-bounding scenes and brings the audiences close-up into the lives of the people involved in making towers. We shot in a beautiful “cinematic” look magnifying all the falls, tears, and celebrations.

Cast and Crew

RAM DEVINENI is the founder of Rattapallax Films. Recently, produced Amir Naderi’s feature film, VEGAS: BASED ON A TRUE STORY, which premiered at the Venice & Tribeca Film Festivals and Beatriz Seigner’s feature movie, O SONHO BOLLYWOODIANO, which was released nationally in Brazil and shown at the Mostra Internacional de Cinema in Sao Paulo and the Pusan International Film Festival. In addition, a three-part travel documentary TV series called ON THE ROAD WITH BOB HOLMAN about endangered languages shot in West Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and showing on LINK TV. Besides films, Rattapallax publishes poetry books and DVDs and has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Devineni is one of the founding partners of Academia Internacional de Cinema, the first independent film school in Brazil.

CANO ROJAS is a Chilean filmmaker living in New York. His work as a Producer, DP and Director has brought him to places like Hawaii, Indonesia, Thailand, Spain, Senegal and many more. Since in NY he has been involved in music videos and local stories as he continues his worldwide search for stories of intercultural and social textures.

Distribution

PARALLEL 40
C/Roselló 184, 5th Floor
08008 Barcelona – Spain

parallel40@parallel40.com
Tel.: +34 93 453 00 25
Fax.: +34 93 323 93 30

Sales in Spain, Chile and Andorra in all media formats.

Music

Music & Songs by ANDRES SUBERCASEAUX & RENE VERON
Lyrics by FALU
Sitar Music by KAMALA SANKARAM
Purchase the songs on iTunes.

The Human Tower Soundtrack

Press & Media

HUMAN TOWER PRESS CLIPPINGS

“A different look at a catalan tradition…interested in translate the emotion almost spiritual the filmmakers found in these structures…” – TIMEOUT, Barcelona
“Castells at the rythm of bollywood” --ARA

Programa “La ventana indiscreta”
Programa Wonderland
Programa El Submarí (minuto 67 aprox)

Contact

2012 Cannes Film Festival Contact Info.
Cano Rojas
Phone: +1-212-920-9839
email: musicwithcurves@gmail.com