09.08.09 FILMMAKER LIVES LA VIDA LOCA, GETS KILLED
Two rules I live by are never fight a guy with a cauliflower ear, and people with tattoos on their face should be avoided. French-Spanish documentarian Christian Povedo chose to ignore the second rule while filming members of a Salvadoran street gang for his documentary La Vida Loca, and… let’s just say it didn’t turn out so well.
Police said Poveda was shot to death Wednesday, with four bullets in the face, as he drove home. Police said they believed Poveda was killed by Mara 18 gangsters who were part of the new generation he had alluded to, young thugs who either did not know him or, if they did, resented his work.
Poveda said he had spent 16 months with members of Mara 18, establishing a relationship, gaining their trust and filming the documentary.
“My proposal was at least one year of filming, and I explained my plan to them, which essentially was to show the human aspect of the gangs, to show who they are, these youngsters. And that really interested them,” Poveda said. “And I was present for everything that might happen, the good things and the bad, and that established a relationship of trust. As savage as they can be, they are people of their word. They’re very well-structured organizations, and the decision of a gang is the last word,” Poveda said in April. “So from the moment that I understood that well, I never had any problems. I’ve never been afraid.”
This week, however, when he spoke to The Times, he sounded a far less hopeful note. It may be that Poveda was tripped up [or shot in the face, rather -Ed.] by the reality of today’s ever more ruthless criminal syndicates that traffic in drugs, weapons and people: Whatever relationship an outsider establishes with them, they are trustworthy only until they are not.
So basically, this movie is like Grizzly Man, only this time, the grizzlies have guns.
(trailer slightly NSFW for gross nudity 1:34-1:36)
In large part because of the burgeoning street gangs, El Salvador has one of the highest homicide rates in the world.
“Let’s not confuse ourselves,” photographer Edu Ponces wrote in the Salvadoran online newspaper El Faro. “Christian is just one of the 10 who will die today. On Sunday, he will be one of 70. And on Sept. 30, one of 300 for the month. . . .” [via LATimes]
Sounds like an awesome place. *crosses out “El Salvador” on list of places to Honeymoon, right below “Bakersfield” and “Sub-Saharan Africa”*
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There are 27 comments about:
FILMMAKER LIVES LA VIDA LOCA, GETS KILLED
one of 300 for the month
THIS. IS. EL SALVADOR!
*realizes that joke died months ago and won’t return to ironic coolness for several more years, sulks off to corner*
So…Ricky Martin is that kind of gang banger too? I’m confused.
Salvadoran gangs are Livin’ La Vida Loca?
As opposed to Columbian gangs who are Livin’ La Vida Coca?
El Salvador, the only country where it’s not just pedophiles that will refuse to fuck a girl who says she’s 18.
I just don’t understand why anyone would give their documentary the same name as a Ricky Martin song. That’s just asking for ridicule.
“young thugs who either did not know him or, if they did, resented his work.”
That is a hilarious choice of words.
And I dunno’ about y’all, but I still see a ton of 300 macros and gifs. It’s the only thing that pile of fail is good for.
I can see why the life is so appealing. Who wouldn’t want to get beat up by your friends, marry an ugly girl with a tattoo on her face, get lap dances from fat strippers, participate in homo-erotic joint sharing, and then die young or go to prison for life?
You see? You wanna be a member of Menudo, your ass is gonna be making some fucking sacrifices!
““young thugs who either did not know him or, if they did, resented his work.””
Way to cut down the suspect list. “We’re pretty sure he was killed by a human being….”
Somebody needs to airdrop Michelle Pfeiffer down there ASAP and get these Latin kids in line.
Do gang members root for the bad guys in super hero movies? Like in the first Spider-Man, when those clearly gay guys were trying to rape Kirsten Dunst, did the bloods and crips, and ms 13 guys root for them to kick Spidey’s ass?
Four bullets to the face is how they let you know that they respect you.
Well, fuck. These tickets are non-refundable.
BANNER PIC:
Reporter: Are you afraid to go down there?
Christian Povedo: Am I afraid? I mean, whats the worst that could happen? I get shot four times in the face by the same people I’m glorifying??
Reporter: Yes.
Christian Povedo(Waves her off): Negative Nancy.
Dor sho gha! Povedo was the guy The Midwest 3* turned away for a documentary! Things got hairy when he flubbed a Klingon catch-phrase, didn’t eat his lemonade taco, and couldn’t relate to scaring big city folk by walking the corn fields with potato sacks for masks.
*give or take
If you live by documenting people who live by the gun, you’ll eventually die by their gun.
Lesson learned.
They wanted to see if Povedo was telling the truth when he said he’d “take a bullet for any one of you guys. All four of you.”
“young thugs who either did not know him or, if they did, resented his work.”
They killed him cause they thought his work was sophmoric.
Los Locos kick your ass. Los Locos shoot your face. Los Locos shoot, and shoot your, and shoot you FAAACE!
“Los Lobos kick your ass, Los Lobos shoot your face, Los Lobos kick your balls into outer space!”
Goddamnit Pauly. Stop using the brain when I’m using the brain. THERE’S ONLY ONE AND TODAY IS my DAY.
This madness won’t stop until Salvadorian Queen Latifah sings a song about it.
Medical Examiner: The victim was making a documentary about the gang called Living La Vida Loca
Horatio Caine: Looks like they’ll take away your pain *puts on sunglasses* like a bullet to your brain.
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
This madness won’t stop ’til they get enough.
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