Pixel Art Meets Mexican Folklore In Gigi Saul Guerrero’s iPhone-Shot Short EL LAZO DE PETRA

Set in a 16-bit world from Guadalajara-based indie video game developer HALBERD STUDIOS.

Actress and filmmaker Gigi Saul Guerrero (Bingo Hell, Satanic Hispanics and V/H/S/85) brings her signature grindhouse flare to an all-new directing frontier with El Lazo De Petra, a new short shot entirely on iPhone 16 Pro.

From Guerrero and Raynor Shima's Luchagore Productions (El Gigante, La Quinceaรฑera), El Lazo De Petra explores a 16-bit world crafted by HALBERD STUDIOS, a indie video game developer from Guadalajara and tells a proudly Mexican tale about an Abuela (Grandmother) sharing with her granddaughter about the legendary heroine Petra, a strong Charra (female horse rider) with her powerful lasso, who thwarts off mythical monsters of the underworld from invading her town. 

Part of Apple's Shot on iPhone campaign, Guerrero's western-meets-vintage video-game adventure is now streaming on YouTube (click CC for English subtitles), as is a behind-the-scenes video that dives into the detail of the short. Here's what Guerrero had to say about shooting with what happens to be one of Danny Boyle's favorite pieces of equipment too: 

โ€œShooting with the iPhone 16 Pro has been an incredible experience. As a director, it inspired me to create stories at any given time. The deviceโ€™s accessibility and size allowed us to explore character perspectives we never could have imagined,โ€

At the time of writing, El Lazo De Petra has over 26 million views after just a week of being released. Go and add your view and keep El Lazo De Petra a viral hit.