a short film by reuben hawkins
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Watch the 30-second theatrical trailer ABOVE
PRINTABLE FILM POSTER
ILLUSTRATOR ART - LEX FLEMING
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
i hope el ranchero can be more than an entertaining action to the viewer. This short film asks questions that i think are important for us to consider.
One of the threads running throughout the film focuses on the clash between the Najavo culture of nurturing the land for the benefit of the whole and the intrinsic idea that what happens to one affects the whole, versus the Western ideology of imperialism that is happy to exert dominance over the land - and its people - for the benefit of a single individual, to the detriment of others.
consequently, the film also explores the greed of man - and how it can distort a person for an insatiable desire for consumption. quite often, one man's loss is another man's greed.
of course, in the end, when these themes are carried out to their eventual end, there can be no victor. this INEVITABLE conclusion is what gave the film it's tagline: hate is a dead-end road.
SCREENSHOTS
SYnopsis
western, short / 15' / 2025
In the unforgiving desert, power is won through blood. El Ranchero follows a hardened rancher who becomes the last barrier between Montezuma - a ruthless kingpin bent on conquering land and people - and total domination. When Montezuma’s men strike, El Ranchero fights back with grit, cunning, and vengeance. Guided by his Navajo ally Gad, whose reverence for the land clashes with Montezuma’s greed, El Ranchero forges his own brutal path. This modern Western tells the tale of how hate is a dead-end road.
CAST
DAVID PEREZ
EL RANCHERO
MAX HARMS
MONTEZUMA
WES CASTILLO
GAD
ALEJANDRO PEREZ
ROBERTO
JOSE PEREZ
ANGEL
WATCH THE FILM
This is currently locked. but will be available after the movie premiere's in arizona in late 2025. fill out the form if you want to be notified of the premiere details when they are confirmed.
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