Hola Mexico Film Festival has officially come to a close and I can confirm we had another great year of inspiring films. Here’s a look at the last short and film that I watched for the festival.
High Beam, directed by Kaila Gutierrez tells the story of a an ambitious 9-year-old who spends her days at the gym where her mother coaches. We see her tire herself out throughout the day as she obsessively prepares to test in hopes of making the gymnastics team. This short gives us a story of perseverance and growth, through the eyes of a dedicated child. Through Genna we learn to try our hardest and to fail again and again. The character growth is astounding, given the time we spend with her which is just a testament to the strong script and direction of the short. Genna teaches us that sometimes we have to know when to take a step back and choose ourselves. Truly a love letter for the little girls that dare to dream, this short will have you rooting for Genna the entire time.
Todavia Conmigo, directed by Alfonso Pineda Ulloa is a story inspired by the lead actor’s experience with grief. When Maria (Barbara Lopez) dies, her husband Daniel (Luis Ernesto Franco) sets off on a motorcycle journey in hopes of reconciling with his grief. This was my most anticipated film of the festival, the premise alone had me hooked and by the time I left the theater I felt utterly devastated. Cinema is so back!!
On said roadtrip Daniel continues to see Mariana and have conversations with her, refusing to let her go even when knows that he should. It’s a devastating look at that time right after a tragedy where you constantly forget that the person is gone. It’s in the moments where you think of picking up the phone to call them that the pain takes a life of its own. The film allows the audience to create space to have the difficult conversations surrounding grief. When do you begin to let go? What does moving on look like? Does finding joy mean that you’re done grieving?
Luis Ernesto Franco gives a devastatingly beautiful performance as Daniel. His grief navigates you through the storyline in a way that demands you to feel for his character. The heartbreak jumps from the screen and you can’t help but ache for this person who’s life has been forever changed by the pain of losing their loved one. Franco helps make this story feel personal so it came as no surprise to find out during the Q&A that the script came to be after he lost both of his parents and found himself grieving over them and his divorce. These are the kinds of stories that we should be getting our butts in theaters for. It’s so utterly personal yet finds its way to keep its message universal.
We were all better for having watched it and I’m so happy that Hola Mexico is assisting in bringing these stories to the forefront of Cinema.
Here’s to another year of inspiring Mexican stories!
0