José

Once you start watching this film by Director: Li Cheng and Writers: Li Cheng, George F. Roberson, you cannot stop. I found myself wondering how Jose' would find a balance between his own personal identity, his needy but very caring mother, his demanding and dangerous job, and doing his best to live in a corrupt society poisoned by church doctrine.

Jose' and. Luis relationship is the greater part of this rather sad but at the same time joyful story. Luis wants to settle down with Jose' but Jose' is torn between his relationship needs and caring for his mother. You will come to care about Jose', he seems to be an honest person.

The sad fact is that Guatemala is a poor corrupt country strangled by 'the church' that demands obedience and cares nothing for hunger and want.

Jose is the only child who is still living at home with his mother, with both having to start a commute before dawn to their respective jobs. Jose's sexual release is with men in a hotel that rents rooms by the hour. When offered chances for a long-term relationship, Jose has a battle between love and loyalty to his mother.

I saw this film at the Inside Out LGBT film festival, with a Q+A with the co-writer. The director and writers spent time in Central America interviewing subjects, and this is a composite of their research. Unfortunately, references to Guatemalan culture and history could be lost to foreigners. Rather crucial to the story is the frequency mothers may hang on to their youngest children to avoid being alone (there is a reference to Jose's sisters). Other references are to a civil war and an earthquake, both of which killer a great number of people, but may be extraneous to the main theme of choices in life.

The film is shot in a raw, gritty style, but that suits the environment the characters live in.

As a gay man from Guatemala, this film spoke to me on several levels. The way the main character of Jose has to sneak out of his job to hook up with men because he lives with his mom is 100% accurate. Every gay man in Guatemala city knows the kind of sleazy motels he visits downtown in the city with the guys he hooks up with.

Although the cultural elements of the film were very truthful and real, the plot itself didn't feel fully developed. The film is too short, and the relationship between José and Luis didn't feel real to me. It was a mixture of bad acting with the film rushing the relationship. The issue of him being gay and living with an overtly religious mother is not explored either. There is also a generic subplot about a straight couple that contributes nothing to the main plot. Overall, the film lacked conflict, it was very low stakes and the ending was uneventful.

I would recommend you watch it if you're gay and from Guatemala because it is refreshing to see us represented in this fashion, but much like Temblores by Jayro Bustamante, these Guatemalan LGBTQ+ movies are still treading very cautiously around these topics and don't pack the punch that a film about being gay in a homophobic third world country should.

The movie "Jose" is yet another real-life example of what happens in the lives of gay men. Young, Middle Age, or Old, it never stops. Everyone wants love, but there are so many parts of life that pull us in a multitude of directions that keeps us from obtaining love. Jose and Luis have a chance at love, but the self-expectation of being obligated to remain close to loved ones is such a pull on our hearts and mind. When we finally find that particular person that brings happiness, tears, and concern for their lives as much as our own, we must take that leap and fully embrace it. A deep dive into everyday life in Central America, this award-winning movie will undoubtedly become a favorite if you enjoy an actual life situation involving love, and heartbreak.

I recently saw "Jose" at "Censurados" film festival in Lima, Peru - they specialize in featuring international films that are facing difficulty reaching some audiences / some countries because of censorship: due to government, industry, and/or social barriers. So I think it's an especially important film be seen and debated, I say let the public decide for themselves. My main observation/interpretation of the film is this: at the beginning of the film, Jose is disconnected from his Mayan cultural heritage (what academics call "erasure", due to colonialism and neo-colonialism). As he faces multiple problems he goes searching and re-connects with Mayan knowledge and spiritual space at a place called "Quirgua", and then he sets out on life again with renewed determination and inspiration - though life won't be easy (that message would be dishonest)