Mud, Myths and Madness: Making Matlatl

Feb 1

Matlatl was our first feature film. The objective was simple in theory, complex in execution: to craft a horror film grounded in Salvadoran folklore, with universal emotional themes—grief, fear, family, and isolation—expressed through a lens that could connect with audiences beyond our borders.

We aimed to avoid folkloric cliché or cultural exoticism. The goal was to deliver a narrative that felt distinctly ours, while maintaining the visual and narrative standards of international cinema.

After a tragic death, a family of three is forced to move to a desolated part of the country - only to be haunted by mythical creatures.

Our writers surrounded by our creative team, prepping the scene.

Writing Myths

I co-wrote the screenplay with Alfonso Simán over a four-month period that involved deep research into mythology and religious traditions—including exorcism rites. Who said writing wasn’t fun? One of our most complex challenges was the creation of the central antagonist: a monster that had to be terrifying, intelligent, seductive, and constantly evolving.

The final concept - a shape-shifting woman who deceives and manipulates - is not only based in a popular Salvadoran legend, but also allowed us to keep the audience unbalanced and uncertain, reinforcing the psychological undertones of the horror.

Casting the Fearless

As the script neared completion, we began the casting process, auditioning over 100 actors from across El Salvador. Our first choice was Katherine Mariona, cast as La Mujer, whose quiet, magnetic intensity defined the character from her very first read. The film leans on visual storytelling over dialogue, with much of the narrative told through silence, movement, and presence—demanding precise, expressive performances from the cast. The ensemble included Marcela Miguel as María, Adrián Miguel as El Niño, Augusto Morales as Juan, Carlos Cardona as Don Carlos, Katherine Mariona as La Mujer, Paulina Miguel as Mari, Óscar René as Helios, Camila Chavarría as Fátima, and Mauricio Fuentes as Don Misael.

Into the Mist: Shooting at El Salvador’s Highest Peak

Principal photography spanned 20 days and took place primarily in El Pital, the highest point in El Salvador. Visually, the location gave us everything we needed: dense fog, vast landscapes, and a haunting stillness. Logistically, however, it was a challenge. Transporting camera gear, lighting rigs, and set pieces into that terrain was demanding.

To ease the process, we reconstructed the rural home’s interior - the film’s primary location - in a makeshift studio in the city. The transition allowed us to shoot with precision, while preserving visual consistency.

Transforming La Mujer into a believable and haunting creature required extensive prosthetic work and daily preparation. Katherine Mariona spent over four hours each day in the makeup chair, undergoing a full-body transformation that included prosthetic breasts, a custom-built mask, and extended nails. The process was physically demanding and logistically complex - especially when navigating remote forest locations in full costume. The result, however, was a striking on-screen presence that anchored the supernatural tension of the film.

One of the more unexpected challenges came from an unlikely source - our cow. A key animal in several scenes, the original cow we had been filming with was abruptly sold by its owner halfway through production, without warning. We were forced to replace it with a completely different animal, which not only looked noticeably different on camera but behaved in entirely unpredictable ways.

Director Migue Siman on set in El Pital.

Cáceres and Baratta

A highlight of the process was working with original music by Germán Cáceres and María de Baratta. Baratta, a trailblazing Salvadoran composer known for weaving indigenous and folk motifs into her classical work, brought a sense of national legacy into our film’s sonic identity. Her music grounded the story even more deeply in place and tradition.

Tales from the mountain

This film would not have been possible without the work of an exceptional team. Edgar Hasbún, our cinematographer. Katia Dabdub and Mili Mena, our production designers, transformed empty spaces into immersive, unsettling environments. Ariel Holshouser and Andrea Marroquín, our makeup artists, executed practical effects and subtle horror aesthetics with precision and craft.

Our producers - Andrea Fernández, Mariana Handal, and Alejandra Pinto - who traveled all around El Salvador to make this story a great adventure in the making. Thank you.

This film taught us about directing, endurance, risk, and the process of distributing an independent feature in El Salvador. More importantly, it showed me what’s possible when you work with a passionate, committed community of filmmakers and friends.