Deadly Cargo
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Deadly Cargo poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| native_name = {{Infobox name module|es|Cámara oscura|nolink=yes}}
| director = Pau Freixas
| producer = Joan Bosch
| screenplay = {{ubl|Pau Freixas|Héctor Claramunt}}
| starring = {{ubl|Silke|Unax Ugalde}}
| cinematography = Julián Elizalde
| editing = Jaume Martí
| studio = {{ubl|Iris Star|Manga Films|Estudios Picasso}}
| distributor = Manga Films
| music = {{ubl|Manel Gil|Rudy Gnutti}}
| released = {{Film date|2003|11|27|Sitges|2004|08|27|Spain|df=yes}}
| country = Spain
| language = Spanish
| budget = €3.5 million
}}
Deadly Cargo or Dark Chamber ({{langx|es|Cámara oscura|links=no}}) is a 2003 Spanish psychological horror thriller film directed by {{ill|Pau Freixas|es}} from a screenplay by Freixas and {{ill|Héctor Claramunt|ca}} which stars Silke and Unax Ugalde.
Plot
The plot follows the members of an underwater diving expedition (including freelance photographer Sara and instructor Iván) hiding on a gloomy hulk used for people trafficking after being left afloat for a while in the wake of their vessel enduring a wreck off the West African coast.
Cast
{{Cast listing|
- Silke as Sara{{Cite web|url=http://www.mcu.es/comun/bases/cine/Anuarios/2004/P32703.pdf|website=ICAA|title=Cámara oscura|access-date=25 September 2023}}
- Adrià Collado as Víctor
- {{ill|Diana Lázaro|es}} as Thaïs
- Unax Ugalde as Iván
- Andrés Gertrúdix as Edgar
- Mustafa Jawara as Drui
- Lluís Homar as Capitán
- Juan Fernández as Salomón
- {{ill|Josep Maria Domènech i Benages|ca|lt=Josep M. Domènech}} as Antón
}}
Production
The film is an Iris Star, Manga Films, and Estudios Picasso production and it had the participation of Telecinco and TVC.{{Cite web|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2004/08/27/revistaverano/1093557614_850215.html|website=El País|date=27 August 2004|first=Juan José|last=Mateo Ruiz-Gálvez|title=Unax Ugalde y Silke se unen para sobrevivir}} It boasted a €3.5 million budget. Shooting locations included Vilanova i la Geltrú.{{Cite web|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2003/05/23/cine/1053640812_850215.html|website=El País|date=23 May 2003|title=Silke y Unax Ugalde se embarcan en una pesadilla en alta mar|first=Manuel|last=Ramos Martín}}
Release
Deadly Cargo screened out of competition as the opening film of the 36th Sitges Film Festival on 27 November 2003.{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.es/play/cine/abci-camara-oscura-y-frio-aterrador-abrieron-ayer-festival-cine-sitges-200311280300-223211_noticia.html|website=ABC|title="Cámara oscura" y un frío aterrador abrieron ayer el Festival de Cine de Sitges|date=28 November 2003}}{{Cite web|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2003/11/28/cine/1069974009_850215.html|website=El País|title=Sitges inicia con un irregular 'thriller' su edición más terrorífica|date=28 November 2003|first=Casimiro|last=Torreiro}} Distributed by Manga Films, it was released theatrically in Spain on 27 August 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fotogramas.es/peliculas-criticas/a8338/camara-oscura/|website=Fotogramas|title=Cámara oscura|date=29 May 2008}}
Reception
Jonathan Holland of Variety considered that "far the best of a recent crop of Spanish teen thrillers", the "stylish" film manages to exploit "a decent budget, good perfs and self-assured helming".{{Cite web|website=Variety|date=2 September 2004|title=Dark Chamber|url=https://variety.com/2004/film/reviews/dark-chamber-1200531362/|first=Jonathan|last=Holland}}
Alberto Bermejo of El Mundo rated the film 2 out of 5 stars, praising the "steady pace and believability of the characters' harrowing wanderings on the boat" but also writing about the sailors' characters exposing "the lack of entity" of a script and a mise-en-scène both lacking the necessary depth.{{Cite web|url=https://www.elmundo.es/metropoli/2004/09/01/cine/1094032052.html|website=El Mundo|date=8 September 2004|title=Turistas en peligro|first=Alberto|last=Bermejo}}