He's one of the most dominant drug lords of all time, making Forbes' list of Most Powerful People, and before the culmination of a 13-year manhunt, Mexican kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman ("Shorty" Guzman) had maintained his freedom by building escape tunnels under bathtubs, hiding in sewers and using sophisticated high-tech tools to perform counterespionage measures.

Guzman's influence spanned around the globe, surpassing the larger-than-life reputation of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. The Chicago Crime Commission gave him the eye-brow raising title of "Public Enemy Number One," which conjures comparisons to the infamous gangster Al Capone, who made his criminal mark in history during the '30s.

Essentially, for over a decade, El Chapo, who had a $5 million dollar bounty on his head, has been lurking in the shadows, escaping through the depths of the earth, casting his cloak of danger and corruption over the land from Mexico to the Americas, the U.S. and beyond... makes for a great movie, right?

Well two filmmakers were ahead of the game and could have quite possibly nabbed El Chapo long before the Mexican Navy and the U.S. DEA made their bust in Mexico while he made breakfast for his beauty queen wife.  

Through the lens of British filmmaker Angus MacQueen and Peruvian journalist Guillermo Galdós, they captured a fascinating inside look into his evil empire -- they even managed to have lunch with El Chapo's mom -- yes, you read that right!

Just two weeks after El Chapo was seized in Mexico, a new documentary called The Legend of Shorty, based on his corrupt and extraordinary life had its world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin.

The Legend Of Shorty is "a blend of mythology and hard facts," according to Forbes. The film follows MacQueen and Galdós as they embark on a brave journey to find out where the world's most infamous drug lord is hiding out -- in essence, launching their own investigation.

"MacQueen and Galdos tackle the legend by recruiting songwriter Jackson Scott to compose folk songs in English and Spanish telling tales about the druglord's past," The Guardian reports. "We hear how Chapo escaped from a maximum security prison by hiding in a laundry cart, we watch the filmmakers compare the kingpin to Zorro, racing through the countryside, answering the call of the common man."

On the other hand, there is a real human aspect to the documentary that doesn't glorify the Mexican mastermind, who reportedly was connected to a whopping 80,000 murders in Mexico.

The presence of Mexican journalist Anabel Hernández, author of Narcoland: The Mexican Drug Lords and Their Godfathers, in the film offers "a vital counter-point to the intoxicating legend", The Guardian adds.

Also in The Legend of Shorty, there is a video montage that shows the real carnage that El Chapo initiated with dead bodies strewn about on the road that are horrifically mutilated, burned and beheaded.

"With extraordinary access to the cartel the pair travel to Mexico's Golden Triangle, bear witness to the batch-loads of cocaine, meth and marijuana being prepared for transport and take part in long, often surreal meetings with Chapo's inner circle, including a lunch date with his mum," according to The Guardian's film critic Henry Barnes, Forbes reports.

Did the fimmaker and jouralist fear for their lives while making the documentary?

According to Forbes, MacQueen told Spain's Efe wire service that they didn't think their lives were in danger when they were filming, because they are foreigners. "There is a general belief that foreign nationals, whether tourists or otherwise, tend to be less physically vulnerable than Mexican nationals."

MacQueen and Galdós weren't able to land an interview with the treacherous drug lord, the Mexican Navy and the U.S. DEA beat them to the chase, but that didn't close the chapter of El Chapo. While he awaits his sentencing in Mexico, the U.S. doesn't want history to repeat itself, and therefore wants to extradite him on racketeering and trafficking charges.

"The Legend of Shorty is an impressive film. It's presented stylishly, but offers a clear view to its true intentions," The Guardian reports. "The filmmakers set out to highlight government inaction, to analyze the personality that thrives when violence and corruption go unchecked. El Chapo's arrest should have sunk The Legend of Shorty, his tenacity and the systemic nature of his trade is the reason it stands."

As the world awaits the fate of El Chapo, it's important to note that the man might be behind bars, but that doesn't mean his evil empire won't continue to reign, or that he won't still be at the helm.