Las Aguas Amargas del San Juan is an audiovisual adaptation project conceived for a historical feature film or limited series, based on documented real events and a published novel that rescues one of the most decisive -and less known- military campaigns in Central American history.
Set on the San Juan River during 1856-1857, the story narrates a river war in which Costa Rica succeeded in cutting off the main inter-oceanic corridor used by the slave filibuster William Walker. It is not a conventional epic: it is a tale of strategy, logistics, survival and power, set in an extreme and visually unique natural environment.
This project combines historical rigor, dramatic tension and contemporary relevance, and is aimed at production companies, co-producers and investors interested in quality historical narratives with international potential and a solid documentary base.
The San Juan River is not a set: it is a character.
And this story, silenced for more than a century, is ready to be told in images.
Audiovisual material available:
The project
The audiovisual adaptation of Las Aguas Amargas del San Juan proposes a different perspective on the war against filibustering in Central America: that of water control as a form of sovereignty.
The story focuses on a decisive river campaign, executed under extreme conditions, where logistics, knowledge of the territory and human endurance were as decisive as the combat. The story focuses on both the military operation and the internal political tensions that followed the victory.
Format
The project is conceived to be developed in two possible formats, open to joint evaluation with production companies:
Historical feature film
A compact, intense and visually powerful story, focusing on the river campaign and its immediate aftermath.
Limited series (6-8 episodes)
A structure that allows us to delve deeper into the characters, the tropical setting, the political tensions and the subsequent silencing process.
Both formats start from the same narrative core and can be adapted according to the creative and production approach.
Historical basis
- All the main characters existed.
- The central facts are documented in campaign diaries, military reports and diplomatic archives.
- The capture of nine filibuster steamers and the control of the San Juan River were real events with strategic impact.
The work does not propose speculative fiction, but historical drama based on contrasted documentation.
Main characters
- Máximo Blanco Rodríguez – Major of the Costa Rican Army, river strategist and central figure in the story.
- Francisco Quirós – Senior officer, moral and operational balance of the column.
- Francisco Alvarado – Navigator and river tactician.
- Emilie Hanke – European nurse, humanitarian look in the midst of conflict.
- Juan Rafael Mora – President of Costa Rica, political leader in tension with the military command.
- José Joaquín Mora – General, figure of power and internal conflict.
- William Walker – Historical antagonist, filibuster and promoter of a slave regime.
The stage
The San Juan River is just another character in the story:
- closed tropical rainforest,
- side wheel steamers,
- colonial forts,
- diseases, mud and constant rains,
- a living border between two countries.
An extreme natural environment, visually stunning and very little explored in international historical cinema.
Project status
- Published novel(Las Aguas Amargas del San Juan).
- Advanced and documented historical research.
- Audiovisual dossier available upon request.
- Adaptation in development phase.
Professional contact
Production companies, co-producers and investors interested in exploring the adaptation of the project can request the complete audiovisual dossier through the contact form.
(Recommended button: Request audiovisual dossier)
Author’s note
This project does not seek to reopen conflicts, but to rescue a silenced history in order to better understand the present and expand the historical narratives available in contemporary audiovisuals.
