Lucio

New Zealand Premiere

Meet Lucio Uturbia — anarchist, bank robber, forger, fugitive, and above all, a bricklayer. Lucio’s life is the stuff of legend.

As an activist in 1950’s Paris, he counted André Breton and Albert Camus amongst his friends, worked with anarchist guerrilla Francisco Sabate to bring down Franco’s fascist regime and carried out numerous bank robberies to fund the struggle to free Spain. In 1977, he successfully forged US$ 20 million dollars of Citibank travellers cheques to fund guerrilla groups in Latin America, bringing the bank to its knees in the process. His motivation was not his own gain, but to dent confidence in this powerful financial institution. Lucio was arrested for this and ended up in prison, but soon got back on his feet.

He also helped organise the kidnapping of Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie from his hideout in Bolivia, aided the escape of Black Panthers from the US and not surprisingly was targeted by the CIA.

The story of how this bricklayer with a skill for forgery brought down powerful institutions without resorting to violence is riveting. His sensibility is pure and enchanting: fight power altruistically without ever aspiring to hold power.

Testimony from Lucio and his cohorts intermingle with a mesmerizing procession of archival evidence and tasteful re-enactments. Co-directors Arregi and Goenaga create tension and excitement without sacrificing gravitas and the film’s stunning cinematic style matches the rapid and almost unimaginable trajectory of Lucio’s tale.