No me mates

Filmed over 5 years, Into the Storm [En La Tormenta] follows the unlikely dream of a young indigenous surfer from one of the toughest barrios in Latin America as he struggles to escape the deprivations of his background and become a professional athlete. It's a story of hope and huge personal struggle against seemingly impossible odds - including being shot twice; it's a testament to the transformative difference made by the love of a parent; and ultimately it's the emotional and uplifting triumph of young man who refuses to be defined by the circumstances of his birth. We meet Jhonny Guerrero aged 14, in the drug and gang-plagued barrio of Chorrillos in Lima, Peru. His dad is in prison for armed robbery and his mum is struggling to support Jhonny and his little brother. Surfing in Peru is traditionally a sport for the middle class but Jhonny's neighbourhood backs onto the ocean and it is there that he learned to surf on a broken board and where he now finds peace and tranquility amongst the chaos of his life. At a national trials, his raw surfing talent is spotted by former World Champion, Sofia Mulanovich who recruits Jhonny to her elite training programme. Jhonny dreams of one day becoming a champion himself and saving his family from their precarious existence. With Sofia's guidance, and with the mentorship of her colleague Jose Plaza, it seems like Jhonny's fortunes are looking up and he starts to flourish in amateur competitions. Despite the fact that Jhonny is often the only child competing without any family support, he starts to become widely recognized as one of the most promising young talents in Peru. With the small amount of sponsorship money he receives, he is able to help support his family. However, as Jhonny matures, he continues to spend time with his beloved cousin Martin, an orphan who depends on crime to survive. The tension between life on the chaotic streets of Chorrillos and the more stable but less familiar world of elite sports, becomes more and more problematic. Now almost 16, the lure of the barrio is hard to escape and on a night out with his cousin Martin, Jhonny gets caught up in a drive-by shooting and is hit twice. Jhonny survives, but his future in surfing is in doubt. Manager and mentor Jose moves him out of the barrio into a foster home. Whilst he is now physically safe, Jhonny is isolated from his friends and family. Aware that his mother and little brother are depending on him to succeed, Jhonny feels under huge pressure. He struggles emotionally, and crashes out in the first round of the World Junior Championships. Now 17 years old, Jhonny receives word that his father is due for release from prison. He is torn between a desperate need for his father's love and support, and the bad memories he has from when he was young.