A few decades after the destruction of the Inca Empire, a Spanish expedition led by the infamous Aguirre leaves the mountains of Peru and goes down the Amazon River in search of the lost city of El Dorado. When great difficulties arise, Aguirre’s men start to wonder whether their quest will lead them to prosperity or certain death.
Cinema Atlas Connection
In the back of my mind, I was very aware of Aguirre, the Wrath of God. Herzog is a director whose work I adore. I tried very hard to avoid copying him, because who could ever copy Herzog? But the madness, the idea of journeying into the unknown to find something that doesn’t exist or isn’t what you expect it to be, that was very much on my mind.
I wanted to make something that could be compared to epic masterpieces, like Andrei Rublev or Aguirre, the Wrath of God, or Valhalla Rising — films that feel ancient and have a certain gravitas and weight.