The Colombian film November, the debut feature by director Tomas Corredor, is having its world premiere these days at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where it was selected for the Discovery section. The film will be released in theaters in Colombia on Oct. 2.
Produced by Burning, Piano, Vulcana, and Torden Film, the movie portrays the Palace of Justice siege, which took place on Nov. 6, 1985, in BogotA, through the stories of several characters (guerrilla fighters, magistrates, and civilians) who, unintentionally, became caught up in one of the most tragic real-life episodes in Colombia during the dark years of drug trafficking, cartels, and armed groups — an event that marks its 40th anniversary this year.
While army tanks outside turn the building into a hell of fire, the footage takes the viewer deep into each character of the diverse group trapped in a bathroom of the palace for 27 hours. Fear, convictions, and contradictions intertwine in this painful event in Colombia’s recent history, with the desperate struggle for survival against the tragedy of violence.
‘November’: Colombia’s film marking 40 years since the Palace of Justice siege
As part of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, held from Sept. 4 to 14 in this Canadian city, the world premiere of the Colombian film November, directed by Tomas Corredor, is taking place.
Starring Natalia Reyes, Santiago Alarcon, and newcomer Juan Prada, the film approaches the tragic events of the Palace of Justice siege, which occurred in early November 1985 in Bogota.
“The Palace of Justice siege is not only one of the most tragic events in Colombia’s recent history, it is also an open wound and an incomplete truth we must keep talking about. That is why the news of November’s premiere at a festival like Toronto excites me so much, because it opens the world’s doors to a local story that, from a perspective far removed from the traditional codes of action cinema and its way of portraying war, seeks to build memory from the experiences of those who resisted it firsthand,” said Tomas Corredor, the screenwriter and director, shortly before the premiere.
With his first feature film, Corredor joins the list of Colombian filmmakers who explore the hidden side of the nation’s history, marked by violence and tragedy at different times, but especially during the 1980s and 1990s.
In an interview with local outlet El Tiempo, the director explained that when the events took place in November 1985, he was 9 years old and spent a long time in front of the television at home, alone, watching what was happening in the heart of the country’s capital. That is why, he says, “when I decided to make my first work for cinema, after more than 300 contributions to the world of advertising, the subject of the Palace of Justice emerged spontaneously.”
The Palace of Justice siege: a wound in Colombia’s memory
On Nov. 6 and 7, 1985, Colombia lived through one of the most painful episodes of its recent history: the siege and retaking of the Palace of Justice in Bogota. The M-19 guerrilla commando stormed the building with around 35 fighters, taking magistrates, employees, and visitors hostage. Their declared objective was to hold a “political trial” of President Belisario Betancur for failing to comply with the peace agreements signed with that armed group.
The attack took place in a context of severe political and social violence. Colombia was going through a grave crisis marked by the expansion of drug trafficking, the strengthening of guerrilla groups, and state repression. The M-19 sought to reposition itself in the political arena, while sectors of society demanded justice in the face of institutional deterioration.
The military reaction was immediate and disproportionate. The army deployed tanks and heavy weapons against the Palace, which caused a fire and a bloody assault. In the operation, 98 people were killed, among them 11 Supreme Court justices, judicial employees, civilians, and guerrillas. There were also reports of forced disappearances of several survivors.
The repercussions were profound: justice was decimated with the loss of key jurists, the state was questioned for human rights violations, and citizens’ trust was shattered.
Four decades later, doubts remain over who gave the order for the assault, the involvement of the Medellin Cartel and Pablo Escobar in financing the operation that was meant to destroy extradition files, and, above all, the role of the military forces, which were accused by some sectors of carrying out a de facto coup against President Betancur and unleashing a response based on violence and human rights violations. These questions continue to hover over a country that has all too often demonstrated its inability to resolve its conflicts through democratic means.
Showing deeply human traits in the midst of tragedy
Corredor confessed that what motivated him was the fact that, in a tragic context such as the crossfire and the burning of the Palace of Justice — an event in which nearly one hundred people lost their lives — it was necessary to show deeply human aspects that transcend the grief.
“For that reason, I set out to leave aside the spectacle of war, of which many images already exist. … During the research, I began to find testimonies that made me realize that people had sought refuge in the bathroom, and that after 27 hours, it was the place where everything ended,” the Colombian director told the outlet.
In addition, Corredor explained that he understood “that this space [the bathroom where the characters took refuge] was the setting for the film, as it contained a diversity of people, hierarchies, professions, and regions, which allowed me to recreate a representation of the country in a single set. A place where guerrilla fighters and civilians ended up crammed together. In confinement, the boundaries between sides faded, allowing humanity to emerge amid the brutality surrounding them.”
The film is a co-production between Colombia, Brazil, and Norway — something that, according to Tomas Corredor, shows how, starting from an event as local as what happened during those two days in November 40 years ago, “it opens the doors to explain humanity in other countries as well.”
The selection of the film for TIFF means a lot to its director, in his own words, because while the movie can serve as a tool to explain a part of Colombia’s history, it also ensures “that it can be received as a work about universal human pain.”