“There are any number of movies about gay men trying to liberate themselves from the long shadow of heteronormative oppression …
but few have been told with the extraordinary nuance or compassion
of Jayro Bustamante’s Temblores” Grade: A-“
— David Ehrlich, IndieWire
“The second feature from Ixcanul writer/director (and Berlin Silver Bear winner) Jayro Bustamante offers a thoughtful, emotionally-charged exploration of a devoutly religious family man torn apart by the
revelation of his love for another man. “
— Allan Hunter, Screen Daily
“A magnificently unflinching film from a master director in the making,
whose thunderous strength will surely make waves in Bustamante’s
Central American homeland and abroad.”
— Carlos Aguilar, The Wrap
SYNOPSIS
In this deeply personal follow-up to his landmark debut IXCANUL, Jayro Bustamante shifts his focus from rural Guatemala to Guatemala City, but once again sets his sights on an individual caught between two seemingly
irreconcilable worlds.
When handsome and charismatic Pablo (Juan Pablo Olyslager) arrives at his affluent family’s house everyone is eagerly awaiting the return of their beloved son, devoted father and caring husband. A seemingly exemplary pillar of Guatemala City’s Evangelical Christian community, Pablo’s announcement that he intends to leave his wife for another man sends shock waves through the family. As Pablo tries to acclimate to his new life in the city’s gay subculture with the liberated Francisco, his ultra-religious family does everything in its power to get their prodigal son back on track, no matter the cost. “If Bustamante’s lucid second feature makes it feel as though the world itself is trembling beneath your feet, it’s because this mercilessly grounded film keys into the devilishness of Pablo’s dilemma: Forcing him to choose between himself and his family is the only way to guarantee that he ultimately loses both” (David Ehrlich, IndieWire).
When handsome and charismatic Pablo (Juan Pablo Olyslager) arrives at his affluent family’s house everyone is eagerly awaiting the return of their beloved son, devoted father and caring husband. A seemingly exemplary pillar of Guatemala City’s Evangelical Christian community, Pablo’s announcement that he intends to leave his wife for another man sends shock waves through the family. As Pablo tries to acclimate to his new life in the city’s gay subculture with the liberated Francisco, his ultra-religious family does everything in its power to get their prodigal son back on track, no matter the cost. “If Bustamante’s lucid second feature makes it feel as though the world itself is trembling beneath your feet, it’s because this mercilessly grounded film keys into the devilishness of Pablo’s dilemma: Forcing him to choose between himself and his family is the only way to guarantee that he ultimately loses both” (David Ehrlich, IndieWire).
THEATRICAL DATES
11/29: Quad Cinema – NYC (Q&As with Juan Pablo Olyslager)
11/29: Coral Gables Art Cinema – Miami FL (Q&As with Juan Pablo Olyslager)
12/5: Movies of Delray – FL
12/6: Movies of Lake Worth – Fl
12/6: Laemmle Royal – LA (Q&As with Juan Pablo Olyslager)
12/6: Landmark Opera Plaza – San Francisco CA
12/6: Zeitgeist Theatre – New Orleans LA
12/13: Cinema Detroit – MI
12/13: Urban Inst. for Contemporary Art – Grand Rapids MI
12/13: Media Arts Center – San Diego CA
12/13: Tallahassee Film Society – FL
12/13: SIE Film Center – Denver CO
12/17: Suns Cinema – Washington D.C.
12/27: Gene Siskel Film Center – Chicago IL
12/27: The Grandberry Theater – Ft. Worth TX
1/10: Living Room Theater – Portland OR
1/10: Living Room Theater – Boca Raton FL
1/10: Lake Worth Playhouse – FL
1/10: The Broadway Theater – Eugene OR