a film resting in itself. plain, simple and unagitated little story about identity, family and intergenerational rifts, in front of the backdrop of the gentrification and housing crisis in the USA. it's best when it focuses on the relationship between father and son, and comes really to life for a moment when it lets reality in (the stand-up scene). being so unpretentious though it's easy to like the whole project.

movies like this are portals into the hardships others face that we are privileged to never have had to endure

Features tremendous performances from Sheila Anozier and Atibon Nazaire as a couple living in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami whose American Dream begins to shift as the realities of gentrification begin to set in. Along with their unforgettable performances, Sorelle’s voice and visual language, which has echoes of Charles Burnett and Chantal Akerman, is assured and astonishing. This film truly took my breath away.

TIFF #43

TIFF review

This was recently added to Mubi, I implore anyone that has Mubi to please give this one a chance. A great little film about family, struggle, and perseverance. Still loved this, even away from trappings of my first film festival.

Important; located; naturalistic; realistic; sad; short; slow; thin.

A perfect and personal distillation of our fucked up housing situation in this country. Atibon Nazaire is such an incredible screen presence, and it’s a very strong first feature from Monica Sorelle. This film really moved me.

Capturing the warmth of home, family, and community, this tender debut feature also brings to light the forces that erode these reassuring structures. In an empathetic character study, director Monica Sorelle gently teases out the connection between culture and identity, and the fragility of both.

Now streaming exclusively on MUBI in the US and Canada.

Both heavy-handed and overwritten at times, while still feeling slight, there were times where the style felt like it justified anything I saw as errors. Sometimes the blocking/framing felt off and scenes and would start kinda hilariously awkward, yet the final shot helped contextualize the whole style and made me realize I possibly should've been going along with the intentions the whole time.

Mesmerizing lead performance I can’t overstate that at all. A little frustrating at times because it feels like poignant or quiet moments can’t breathe with the ever-present score that tends to outstay its welcome. Such a good final scene though and just oozing with equal parts warmth and a kind of mourning all the way through. All around solid feature debut especially for its budget