The Promise (La Promesa) is a 15-minute and 39-second Mexican documentary directed by Paola Anchondo, Aldo Hernández and Jorge Porras. It combines drama and sport to tell the story of an athlete who finds his deepest motivation in a family bond marked by pain.
The protagonist is Uziel Muñoz, a leading Mexican track-and-field athlete. The narrative begins with a promise made to his younger brother shortly before his death: to take part in the Olympic Games. This promise becomes the driving force of Uziel's sporting and personal journey as he undergoes intense physical and mental transformation to reach the level required for international competition.
The documentary follows the athlete in his real setting, through training and competitive preparation, showing the difficulties and resilience required to compete at the highest level. The sporting story is thus intertwined with a universal theme: commitment to oneself and others, the ability to transform pain into energy, and the sacrifice required to pursue a life goal.
In production terms, The Promise (La Promesa) is not a student project but a professional production with a budget of around USD 45,000. The directors already have experience in sports documentary, as shown by earlier works El Gran Salto (The Jump) and Cruz, confirming their interest in sport as a narrative and human tool.
The film was completed on11 September 2023 in Mexico.
Film Information
Title: The Promise
Original title: La Promesa
Direction: Paola Anchondo, Aldo Hernández, Jorge Porras
Production: Jorge Porras
Country: Mexico
Language: Spanish
Running time: 15 minutes and 39 seconds
Genre: Documentary, drama, sport
Sport featured: Track and field
Main subject(s): Uziel Muñoz
Completion date: 11 September 2023
Premiere: [Not specified]
Distributor: [Not available]
Shooting format: Digital, colour
Director's first film: No
Student project: No