What happens when a bank fails? It might for example be squatted by 3,000 people and transformed into a housing project. The ruins of a 200-meter-tall skyscraper rise up into the Caribbean sky of downtown Caracas and serve as a shelter and dwelling for 750 families. Ignored by the municipal administration and dreaded by the rest of the neighborhood, the inhabitants of Torre Confinanzas are working on their own model of a socialist microcosm in their vertical city. ‘Ruina’ portrays the difficulties and achievements in building a community.

Markus Lenz studied cultural and communication sciences in Leipzig an Palermo. Degree in Master of Arts in 2007. Between 2010 and 2013 he continues postgraduate studies at Cologne’s Academy of Media Arts and Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá specializing in documentary cinema. North Rhine-Westphalia’s Ministery of Culture awards him in 2015 with the young artists award for his films.

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