James Blue Award Winner

In the small town of El Roblito, where wild horses gallop through the streets and children roam nearby mangrove forests, life appears idyllic. But 16-year-old Ñoño has a secret that runs counter to the local culture defined by machismo; Ñoño loves to dress in women’s clothes. In this gorgeously photographed snapshot of rural Mexico, cinematographer-turned-director Bruno Santamaría reveals repression, violence, and beauty in equal measures and the exquisite story of an individual who bravely defies the gender norms of their society. (APRIL 19-20)

Director’s Statement: Bruno Santamaria Razo

I had a secret in my life and I wanted to go in search of a place where I could talk about it. I thought that talking about the secrets would make me grow up, become more mature, or that maybe it would be the other way around, that maturing and growing up would make me talk about the secrets. The film just came to be, it wrote itself while making the film. At first, I only knew I wanted to film something that would feel like a process of growing up. I thought that filming with kids in a space where you could get to feel first-hand the violence we live in Mexico would allow me to be close to the transformation process of a certain look: from child to adult.

Selected Filmography: Margarita