The Ecuadorian Candidate

Source: Héctor Muniente

The Ecuadorian Candidate

Buffalo 8 has acquired North American rights to Héctor Muniente’s documentary The Ecuadorian Candidate which shot during the 2021 Ecuador election.

The Jacobin Magazine documentary follows the story of Leftist economist Andres Arauz as he bids to become the next president of Ecuador. 

Arauz was backed by Rafael Correa, the former president who launched Ecuador’s Leftist movement, governed the South American country from 2007 to 2017, and was an ally of Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez.

Arauz contested the election against the conservative banker Guillermo Lasso, who was running for the third time and eventually prevailed at the polls. The documentary touches on the climate crisis, Indigenous politics, migration, fake news, and how the law can become weaponised.

The Ecuadorian Candidate challenges the prevailing narratives perpetuated by the US media about Latin American left populism, offering a fresh perspective on the complex reality of the region,” said Hector, who also served as producer.

Bhaskar Sunkara served as executive producer for Jacobin alongside Janek Ambros of Assembly Line Entertainment.

Nikki Justice and Ella Wahlestedt of Buffalo 8 negotiated the deal with filmmakers and are currently planning the release.