by David Zonana
Drill, humiliation and violence characterise everyday life at the traditional Mexican military academy Heroico Colegio Militar. 18-year-old Luis dutifully signs up for the harsh training so he can use his earnings to provide medical care for his ailing mother. However, when the sadistic Sergeant Serra begins to include Luis in his criminal schemes, the young recruit finds himself faced with a moral dilemma. The thriller HEROICO explores with striking imagery and a nightmarish narrative the virile rituals and struggles for power in the strictly hierarchical Mexican military system.