Friday, June 21, 6:45 pm, Victoria Theatre
Monday, June 24, 3:45 pm, Castro Theatre
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| Esto no es Berlín • Xabiani Ponce de León as Carlos |
El único arte que vale la pena es el que violenta y el que te asquea.The only art that matters is the violent and disgusting.
Fortunately, that’s a quote from one of the characters; it doesn’t seem to be the filmmaker’s view. The main character, teenager Carlos (Xabiani Ponce de León) goes with his best friend and his sister to an underground club with gay and straight people mingling freely. Thanks in part to his precocious engineering skills, Carlos gradually becomes part of the scene, experiencing the full gamut of sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll, with a sizable dollop of revolutionary politics. (The story takes place in 1986, a time of deep economic and social unrest in Mexico, so revolutionary politics is very much “in the air.”) Carlos must feel his way forward in how these new experiences will affect his relationships with family, friends, and school.
The story is well crafted, with fine performances (including Frameline41 alumnus Fernando Álvarez Rebeil [Sueño en otro idioma/I Dream in Another Language] as Quinoñes), judicious editing, and, yes, some eye candy. The political and social commentary complements the personal story arc of Carlos and his friends. Definitely a MUST SEE.
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