A daughter, a father, and a sea that never forgets: the film 'The Grouper Strategy' will be released this month.

On June 26 (2025), the debut film by Colombian Edgar de Luque Jácome will premiere, immersing viewers in complex family relationships, diversity, acceptance, and love.

After its premiere at the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia, The Grouper Strategy arrives in Colombia to tell the story of Samuel, the last grouper fisherman living on Marlin Island.

However, the situation becomes complicated when the man receives an unexpected visit from his daughter Priscila, who seeks the protection of her father, whom she has not seen since she was a child and was called Samuelito.

With nowhere to escape, the two must learn to know each other again, overcome mistrust, and heal old wounds. Their shared time and need for care open the way for a profound transformation; in the sea, where groupers change as they mature, the two begin to rebuild their bond.

The "grouper" is a type of marine fish highly prized for its size and the flavor of its meat. Once they reach maturity, groupers can change sex after ten years of age. In this film, Samuel and Priscila take the opportunity to immerse us in their daily lives to heal a broken past and allow us to witness their change, just as groupers do in the depths of the sea.

With a strong message about second chances, which resonates throughout the film. The Mero's Strategy invites us to redefine the concept of family and build a different future, keeping in mind that we cannot change the past. The film celebrates our capacity as human beings to learn and grow, even in difficult circumstances.

"This film tells the story of the relationship between a father and daughter in the hostile, sexist context of the Colombian Caribbean. For those of us born by the Caribbean Sea, learning to swim is almost as important as learning to walk, and the mission of teaching this skill falls to the father or whoever embodies that paternal figure," says Edgar De Luque Jácome.

And he adds that Samuel's past and homophobia have separated him from his daughter, which has prevented this important moment of teaching his daughter to swim from ever happening. "That's why I would dare to say that this film is about a father who has one last chance to teach his daughter to swim in her own sea," he concludes.

The Grouper Strategy won the Best Actor Award for Roamir Pineda at the Dominican Film Festival in New York and Best First Film at the LA SILLA Awards in the Dominican Republic.