Mariposas Verdes

This movie tells the story of a teenager who struggles to find his own identity in this world, but must confront a society incapable of understanding differences, gender variations or our own choices, whatever they are. Well crafted, this movie tells the story of bullying from the perspective of a teenager, but also proves that the position of parents and teachers are crucial if we desire to prevent this type of behavior. Mariposas Verdes is meant to be a movie that causes controversy and stays in the mind of the viewer, just as much as the book Mariposas Verdes.

Made in 2017, the closing explains that "In 2015, the Colombian government ordered a revision of school charter rules to include respect for sexual orientation and gender identity". The film's action predates 2015 and explains why this humane ruling was needed. "Mariposas Verdes" is important and unflinching in demonstrating what always happens when homophobic bullies and cruel, bigoted, corrupt authorities and authority figures are allowed to victimize the innocent, especially young people who happen to be different and women, both within institutions and families. In addition to horrendous acts of domestic spousal and child abuse, we see high school kids forced to endure brutal discrimination, rape, and ultimately, suicides--one at both ends of the film! A very moving, well-made, but relentlessly disturbing film, and one that should be seen, especially in the US, where bully-rule has become the norm since the 2016 election, now with a Supreme Court backing the bullies against human rights and personal freedoms. That Colombia should now be ahead of the US in this regard is disgraceful.

This film deals with a pair of gay students in Columbia who are attending a private school with an autocratic administration. The main characters students also have absentee or largely unsupportive parents. Given the level of repression, the unchecked bullying and the raging hormones, this is a recipe for disaster and the film has a higher body count than movies of this type.

When I was first coming out and coming to terms with my sexual identify, I found a lot of good in Spanish films. El Diputado, Colegas, El Sacerdote, Law of Desire to name but a few. In later years we've seen Strawberry & Chocolate , Burnt Money, Y tu mamá también, and The Way He Looks,

In many ways they are ALL more advanced than this film. Yes, the setting is Colombia in South America and it seems WAY more repressed than most Hispanic countries.

The boys are cute enough and the story doesn't dwell in the dismal aspects of this culture but it's certainly NOT the hopeful optimistic brand of gay film that I've come to expect these days.

According to the after credits the Colombian government ordered a change to school rules nationwide that recognized differences in sexual orientation So I'm a bit unclear what a film like this released in 2017 was trying to accomplish except perhaps the exorcising of some old demons.

If you have a special interest in Colombia and want to see an autocratic school system with very few real civil liberties, then this may well, be your film. If you're up for something lighter and want something in Spanish may I suggest the latest season of Elite?

This movie was extremely difficult for me to watch. It hits way too close to home. I related to a lot of stuff within this movie. I am a sexual abuse and suicide survivor. I was abused by a family member as a child. I am a gay man who grew up in a very religious Latino household. As you can imagine none of this was easy. It's bad enough that you're Latino and gay, which was really frowned upon in the Latin community for ages. But imagine being Latino and gay in a religious house.

The movie shares a love story between two friends who go to the same school and they end up becoming lovers. One of the girls who happens to have a crush on one of the boys ends up catching them in the bathroom kissing, so she takes a picture and shows it to the principal and everybody in the class.

The movie has a very beautiful love story, which turns into a very sad story by the end. I highly recommend this movie. It's unfortunate that these two boys who loved each other very much couldn't stay together. It's very unfortunate everything that happened between them being exposed and one of the boys parents decided to press charges against the other boy for sexual harassment that never happened.

The principal, and also the girl who took the photo of the two boys really made me upset and mad throughout the movie because it just seems like they were trying to cause trouble every chance they could.

If you're looking for a good LGBT movie to watch this one is for you, but I must warn you. It may be very difficult for you to watch. The ending is very sad. I was literally crying throughout the movie. So if you need it, grab your box of tissues cause you just might need it.

Wanted to like this film as the messages it is trying to convey are still (sadly) as important today as they ever have been, however it is woefully poorly and clumsily executed.

The characters are not even one dimensional and the whole film has the feel of an acting workshop on 'how not to do it'.

A missed opportunity.