Colombian Film: ROA | Proimágenes Colombia

Synopsis

HISTORY IS ALSO WRITTEN BY THE LOSERS ROA is a fictionalized account, based on real facts, about Juan Roa Sierra, the supposed killer of Jorge Eliecer Gaitán, Colombian politician and lawyer, dissident candidate of the Liberal Party for the 1950 Presidential elections, which he had a very high probability of winning thanks to his popular appeal. The story takes place in Bogota in the days prior to April 9th, 1948. Roa is a naïve, superstitious man, an idealist unable to keep a stable job but with a family to feed. Weary of looking for a job, and convinced he is meant for greatness, he visits his idol, Gaitán, in order to ask him for work. His hopes are shattered when Gaitán treats him with scorn. Thus, his idol becomes his nemesis and Roa begins to devise a naïve plan to murder him. After nearly getting caught, tormented by fear, Roa forsakes his crazy ideas and straightens his ways. But just when things start looking up, destiny decides to play a trick on him when some mysterious men, who have seen him staking out Gaitán, threaten to kill his family if he does not continue with his criminal plan. The explosion of rage that overtook the population of the capital, known as “El Bogotazo”, led to thousands of deaths and the destruction of part of the city. The repercussions of Gaitán’s murder spread around the entire country and triggered a period of Colombian history known as La Violencia (The Violence), which lasted approximately 10 years, but the effects of which are still felt today. Whether Juan Roa Sierra acted alone or was part of a wider conspiracy is still a mystery.