http://www.undertowfilm.com/trailer.html
Miguel is a handsome, young and beloved fisherman in Cabo Blanco, a small fishing village in the Northern coast of Peru, where the community has deep-rooted religious traditions. Miguel is married to the beautiful Mariela, who is 7-months pregnant with their firstborn, but Miguel harbors a scandalous secret: He is having a love affair with another man, Santiago, a painter who is ostracized by the townsfolk for being agnostic and open about his sexuality.
When Santiago drowns accidentally in the ocean's strong undertow, he cannot pass peacefully to the other side. He returns after his death to ask Miguel to look for his body and bury it according to the rituals of the town. Miguel must choose between sentencing Santiago to eternal torment or doing right by him and, in turn, revealing their relationship to Mariela and the entire village. Miguel is forced to deal with the consequences of his acts and to come to terms with who he really is, even if by doing so he stands the chance of losing the people he loves the most.
With sweeping images of the beautiful Peruvian coastline, UNDERTOW (Contracorriente) is the emotional intersection of contemporary sexuality, confronted by tradition and belief. This sexy and redolent love story is the feature film debut of Javier Fuentes-León and stars Manolo Cardona (Beverly Hills Chihuahua and the hugely popular telenovela series, Sin tetas no hay paraiso, and was also named by People en Espanol as one of its 50 Most Beautiful People in 2005), Cristian Mercado (Che) and Tatiana Astengo. The film is produced by Javier Fuentes-León and Rodrigo Guerrero (Maria Full of Grace, Dog Eat Dog).
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
UNDERTOW (Contracorriente) is my first feature film, a very personal project in which I explore themes that I believe are very relevant today. Having lived a long time away from Peru has allowed me to see with a new perspective certain aspects of the society in which I grew up, and to realize that the concept of "manhood" can sometimes be very distorted there (as it is in almost all of Latin America), and be replaced by poorer and more limited definitions that have less to do with honor and authenticity and more with masculinity and power. In a way, Contracorriente was born out of a personal quest to define what it is to be a true man and how manhood relates to sexual identity.
Many films have dealt with discrimination and homophobia, but usually represented as an external force, i.e. the discrimination of others against a person different to them. And although there is a good dose of that in Contracorriente, I firmly believe that most of the times our worst enemy is not necessarily the intolerance of others, but our own internal prejudices, and so I wanted to make that theme an important aspect of the film.
If we can overcome our own prejudices and accept ourselves despite the social conventions and the false expectations that we create for ourselves, then it will be much easier to deal with the discrimination of others. Because being at peace with ourselves is what gives us the strength to face any external obstacle and lets us act with honesty. Therefore, it was important to explore in UNDERTOW the consequences of our dishonest behavior when trying to hide our true nature due to a vital urge to want to fit into the accepted parameters of the society in which we live in, and how our misguided actions sometimes end up affecting the people we love the most.
There is an alarming void of role models for the Latin American men and women who are struggling to define their sexual identity. My goal with Contracorriente is to tell a passionate and engrossing story that can connect with a wide audience, regardless of their sexual orientation, and that can help fill that void.
After all, UNDERTOW is a love story, and as such is a story for everybody. True love is the best tool we have to free people from their fears and traps, and to make them confident and strong to accept with conviction who they really are, first to themselves, and then to the people around them… which is vital to foster a healthy and thriving society, because only a free person in the whole sense of the word can fully prosper, and then contribute their unique sensibility to the world around them.
Film Review: Undertow
This poetic gem about loss and the consequences of a passionate but hidden gay relationship in a tiny ocean-side village of modest fishermen deservedly won Sundance's World Cinema Audience Award and represents Peru's bid for an Oscar nom.
Miguel is a handsome, young and beloved fisherman in Cabo Blanco, a small fishing village in the Northern coast of Peru, where the community has deep-rooted religious traditions. Miguel is married to the beautiful Mariela, who is 7-months pregnant with their firstborn, but Miguel harbors a scandalous secret: He is having a love affair with another man, Santiago, a painter who is ostracized by the townsfolk for being agnostic and open about his sexuality.
When Santiago drowns accidentally in the ocean's strong undertow, he cannot pass peacefully to the other side. He returns after his death to ask Miguel to look for his body and bury it according to the rituals of the town. Miguel must choose between sentencing Santiago to eternal torment or doing right by him and, in turn, revealing their relationship to Mariela and the entire village. Miguel is forced to deal with the consequences of his acts and to come to terms with who he really is, even if by doing so he stands the chance of losing the people he loves the most.
With sweeping images of the beautiful Peruvian coastline, UNDERTOW (Contracorriente) is the emotional intersection of contemporary sexuality, confronted by tradition and belief. This sexy and redolent love story is the feature film debut of Javier Fuentes-León and stars Manolo Cardona (Beverly Hills Chihuahua and the hugely popular telenovela series, Sin tetas no hay paraiso, and was also named by People en Espanol as one of its 50 Most Beautiful People in 2005), Cristian Mercado (Che) and Tatiana Astengo. The film is produced by Javier Fuentes-León and Rodrigo Guerrero (Maria Full of Grace, Dog Eat Dog).
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
UNDERTOW (Contracorriente) is my first feature film, a very personal project in which I explore themes that I believe are very relevant today. Having lived a long time away from Peru has allowed me to see with a new perspective certain aspects of the society in which I grew up, and to realize that the concept of "manhood" can sometimes be very distorted there (as it is in almost all of Latin America), and be replaced by poorer and more limited definitions that have less to do with honor and authenticity and more with masculinity and power. In a way, Contracorriente was born out of a personal quest to define what it is to be a true man and how manhood relates to sexual identity.
Many films have dealt with discrimination and homophobia, but usually represented as an external force, i.e. the discrimination of others against a person different to them. And although there is a good dose of that in Contracorriente, I firmly believe that most of the times our worst enemy is not necessarily the intolerance of others, but our own internal prejudices, and so I wanted to make that theme an important aspect of the film.
If we can overcome our own prejudices and accept ourselves despite the social conventions and the false expectations that we create for ourselves, then it will be much easier to deal with the discrimination of others. Because being at peace with ourselves is what gives us the strength to face any external obstacle and lets us act with honesty. Therefore, it was important to explore in UNDERTOW the consequences of our dishonest behavior when trying to hide our true nature due to a vital urge to want to fit into the accepted parameters of the society in which we live in, and how our misguided actions sometimes end up affecting the people we love the most.
There is an alarming void of role models for the Latin American men and women who are struggling to define their sexual identity. My goal with Contracorriente is to tell a passionate and engrossing story that can connect with a wide audience, regardless of their sexual orientation, and that can help fill that void.
After all, UNDERTOW is a love story, and as such is a story for everybody. True love is the best tool we have to free people from their fears and traps, and to make them confident and strong to accept with conviction who they really are, first to themselves, and then to the people around them… which is vital to foster a healthy and thriving society, because only a free person in the whole sense of the word can fully prosper, and then contribute their unique sensibility to the world around them.
Nov 24, 2010
And beyond these themes is the emotional impact of a heart-wrenching story of near-fatal denial and lost love wafting as consistently throughout as the gentle, unrelenting ocean breezes.
Undertow is as much a ghost story as a love story. Miguel (Cristian Mercado), who works as a fisherman and mends nets, lives in a seaside hut with his pregnant wife Mariela (Tatiana Astengo). The yin and yang of life are immediately evident: Miguel holds a proper burial in the sea for his beloved cousin as his wife awaits imminent birth of their baby boy.
Unbeknownst to all, Miguel has been conducting a secret love affair with Santiago (Manolo Cardona), a painter from a middle-class family who often visits the village, but he calls an end to the relationship in order to take on his role of father. Santiago, devastated, wanders onto the beach and is pulled in by an undertow, lost to the sea forever. But not to Miguel. Santiago becomes a constant presence, haunting his grieving lover everywhere.
Still deeply in love and still harboring his secret, Miguel welcomes his phantom companion and carries on in his work and now as a doting father to his new baby. But when Isaura (Cindy Diaz) and her boyfriend take refuge in what was Santiago's hut, they discover the artist's nude painting of Miguel and rumors fly.
Soon the whole village has caught on, including Mariela, and Miguel is ostracized. He continues in deep denial, even to the point of lying to his wife about his feelings. A series of events, including the discovery of Santiago's body and the arrival of his family to return the body home, will bring dramatic change, not just to Miguel but to his wife and the entire village. The actions of Isaura, Miguel and even the ghostly Santiago affect the destinies of all concerned, expose the truths about love, loss and denial that underlie Undertow, and provide many tear-inducing moments for audiences.
It's no easy feat that filmmaker Javier Fuentes-León makes the transition to the supernatural both surprising and believable and maintains this odd coupling of the two lovers as compelling throughout.
Mauricio Vidal's cinematography, Diana Trujillo's art direction and Selma Mutal's lovely score contribute mightily to Undertow, whose colorful palette even in the simple dwellings provides wonderful visual candy. Mercado, Astengo and Cardona are all tremendously moving as the film's beleaguered triangle, abetted by strong supporting performances. And the adorable Jaziel Yenque Veliz as the frequently seen infant deserves some kind of Best Behaved Baby award.
Beyond the film's fine cast, the sights and sounds of nature—the sweeping beaches and skies beyond, the rocky shore that protects the huts, the sparkling aqua-blue ocean and its pounding waves, and the ever-present winds—play important roles. There's also plenty of nudity as Miguel juggles his roles as gay lover and devoted husband, but all is in good taste.
Reviews:
Manohla Dargis, New York Times
"Lyrical, poignant…it quickly casts a seductive, sensual spell. A wholly unified work of art, suffused in an inviting atmosphere, incorporating supernatural elements with the greatest of ease, compelling storytelling and completely natural yet succinct, sympathetic portrayals. Gorgeous cinematography and a plaintive score complete the intuitively well-blended ingredients that constitute Undertow."
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
"This poetic gem about loss and the consequences of a passionate but hidden gay relationship in a tiny ocean-side village of modest fishermen deservedly won Sundance's World Cinema Audience Award and represents Peru's bid for an Oscar nom."
Doris Toumarkine, Film Journal
"Undertow's three impassioned lead performances and Fuentes-León's honest engagement with thorny matters of identity, sexuality and community still make it an easy movie to get swept up by."
Thanks for the kind mention of Undertow and a great wrap up of the reviews. The film is now playing in New York City at the Cinema Village and in Los Angeles at the Sunset 5 and the Playhouse 7 in Pasadena.
ReplyDeleteIt next moves on to Miami, Boca Raton and Provincetown with more cities on the tour in early 2011. Fingers crossed for the Oscar nomination too!