YNOT at the Movies

Even though it is nothing new, the immigration crisis has been in the front and center in US politics lately. You might think that would be a perfect subject for the Oscar-nominated documentarian Heidi Ewing to explore. Well, she did, but not as a documentary; instead she did so in her narrative debut "I Carry You with Me" (Te llevo conmigo | Mexico/USA 2020 | in Spanish/English | 111 min.). The film tackles immigration issues in the last portion of the film in a semi-documentary style featuring a real-life gay couple, Iván García and Gerardo Zabaleta. But the film's crowning achievement is how beautifully it portrays the love story between them that started decades earlier. You are both heart-warmed by their tender love and devastated by the sacrifice and their undocumented immigrant status.

In 1994 Puebla, Mexico, despite having a culinary diploma, Iván (Armando Espitia) works in a restaurant washing dishes and struggles to support his young son who lives with his separated wife. Afraid of not being able to see his son again if his wife finds out, he has to keep his gay identity a secret.

During a night out with his childhood friend Sandra (Michelle Rodríguez) at an underground gay bar, Iván met Gerardo (Christian Vázquez) who is a teacher at a local university. They quickly fall in love, but only secretly, in the shadow of a homophobic environment.

Unable to find a job as a chef and to provide for his family, Iván decides to cross the border illegally to the US with Sandra, leaving his family and Gerardo behind. But when he arrives in NYC, his American dream is in "slow motion" and far from becoming a reality. He can only make ends meet by washing cars or delivering food.

Eventually, Iván is able to get a job in the kitchen and works up the ladder. Failing to obtain a US visa to reunite with Iván, Gerardo gives up his teaching career and also crosses the border illegally to join Iván. Even though they become successful in creating a restaurant business, now they are on the other side of the border longing for their families and have to continue living under a different shadow as undocumented immigrants.

Gorgeously shot by the cinematographer Juan Pablo Ramírez, the film captures the tender romance between two young men, terrifically performed by Michelle Rodríguez and Christian Vázquez. The chemistry between the two actors makes you believe in their solid bond that reaches beyond the distance and time. It's quite impressive for the director Heidi Ewing to depict that epic love story on the screen.

You would have hoped that profound love is at the center of the film till the end. Yet, the director abruptly changes course and goes back to her documentarian instinct toward the end of the film. She turns her camera to the real life Iván and Gerardo and documents their restaurant modeling, their frustration with the undocumented immigrant status, and their desire to reunite with their family after 20 years of separation. It doesn't blend well with the early narrative portion of the film. It should have been another documentary film about immigration policy entirely.

However, the film does raise pointed questions from the gay couple's incredible journey. Are their sacrifices for the American dream too costly? Is their success in business in the US worth the emotional suffering of being separated from their families back home? Will Iván realize his Mexican dream by going back to Mexico to see his son who has already grown up without his presence?

Before those questions are answered, one thing that Iván and Gerardo are certain about is: "You and me, together."

"I Carry You with Me" opens on Friday, July 2, 2021 in San Francisco Bay Area.