On July 30, Venezuelan director María Gabriela Cárdenas releases her debut feature, A Dark Foe, a suspense and action film that explores the mark left on the conscience of a victim by a heinous crime. The film features the collaboration of the director's father, actor Oscar Cárdenas, who plays a Latino FBI agent confronting his most hidden traumas to achieve justice.

"These traumas can get stuck inside a person without knowing when they will come out. That internal struggle is what we wanted to talk about. 

Actor Oscar Cárdenas is convinced that Latino audiences watching the film will identify with his character, Tony Cruz, who has experienced evil up close and must overcome invisible obstacles. Likewise, he assures that the story is "universal," as it shows the problem of crime and violence that breaks physical and racial boundaries.

The script for the film was written by both father and daughter Cárdenas, and they confess it was a complicated time because of the physical distance between them during the process.

"Latinos have to open our own doors. We have the stories, the talents; all that remains is for the public to support our proposals." 

Although the process was not easy at the beginning for the young director, María Gabriela won the team's trust by proving she had the talent to lead the project. She also recognized that there are still many barriers for women and Latinos in Hollywood, and that working with her father was a way for her to continue to open doors for more women and Latinos in the industry. 

A Dark Foe will premier at theaters in Los Angeles, New York, Miami and other cities.