THE BATON
DOCUMENTARY
FILM SYNOPSIS
Filmmaker Nemo Allen follows his recently deceased mother’s footsteps to war-torn Cauca, Colombia, to document the struggle of the Indigenous Nasa.
In a bout of depression, filmmaker Nemo Allen follows his recently deceased mother’s footsteps to war-torn Cauca, Colombia, to document the struggle of the Indigenous Nasa. Confronted with a much more complex and dangerous environment than he had imagined, Nemo wonders why his mother repeatedly risked her life filming there in the early 90’s. Amidst the specter of death and violence, Nemo finds hope in the Nasa’s Indigenous Guard, who protect their community with nothing more than batons, and spirit.
CREDITS
CREW
Directed, Produced, & Edited by Nemo Allen
Associate Producer Hanna Wallis
Cinematography Nemo Allen
María Victoria Maldonado
Story Advisor Alan Berliner
Additional Cinematography Andres Arce Maldonado Hanna Wallis
Jamie Newmeyer Juan Garcia Blanco
Sound Recording Nemo Allen
Additional Sound Recording Julie Neira Campoverde
Sound Design Jeremy S. Bloom
Grading TBD
Archival Transfers Brendan Allen DiJiFi Brooklyn
Additional Footage CRIC | AP
SPECIAL THANKS
Aditi Kini, Andrea Weiss, Andrzej Krakowski, Annie Howell, Dee Dee Halleck, Duff Allen III, Edilmar y Vanesa Campo, Enrique Maldonado, Irene Sosa, Jesus “Chucho” Avirama, Karen Ranucci, Miller Correa, Myna Joseph, Nancy Gerstman
DIRECTOR
NEMO ALLEN
BIO
Nemo is a NYC-based documentary filmmaker and freelance DP. Focusing on socially conscious projects, he seeks a balance of poetry and hard-hitting critique in his work. Nemo spent five years covering UN Climate Change Negotiations around the world, and previously worked at Democracy Now!, the daily global news hour with Amy Goodman. His documentary about the music business in the age of streaming, Behind a Good Song, won Best Musical Short at the NYC Chain Film Festival. Nemo holds an MFA in Film from The City College of New York, and a BA from Wesleyan University, where he studied literature and dance.
