PECCADILLO – A Review by Jenn Rohm
Everyone has a story to tell and sharing that story can help lead the way for others to find their own truth. Peccadillo, written and directed by Sofia Garza-Barba is a short film about a young male, Lorenzo (Huitzili Espinosa) who along with his sister Sofi (Odett D’Luna) is being raised by their mother (Lili Gorett) and Abuela (Magda Garza) in Catholic and gender-specific traditions. Lorenzo is keeping a secret and is warned that secrets belong to the devil. One night after work Raziela Rubi (Eia Noel), one of the very glamorous entertainers from the club across the street has a conversation with him. Sharing a bit of personal history that was similar to where Lorenzo is, Raziela parts with, (quoted from the subtitles) “My Darling, let me give you some advice. Never take what isn’t yours. But when they give you something, Take It.” This of course helps open the door for Lorenzo to accept and discover the freedom of being true to oneself.
There is a saying that the smaller the dynamite the bigger the bang. This short is filled with powerful moments that allow the viewer to feel the emotions driving the story. A few examples are, at the start with a look of longing on his face and touching the fabric of a dress being sewn, to the vision of what could be when he sees inside the club, and when moping the restaurant floor where he hears with his heart what Raziela has to say. Throughout the piece, there are moments of the devil on your shoulder. Some of these are about a secret, some about beliefs based on how he was raised, and a few appear to be a bit of self-doubt. Pablo Levy/Eva Blunt provides a delightful tongue-in-cheek performance as Diabl@.
I found this to be a beautiful tribute to the challenges people face when the traditions and beliefs we are raised with do not line up with what we feel to be true to ourselves. Having the support of a community to help us find our inner warrior is important.
Bentonville Film Festival, short film entry
Director: Sofia Garza-Barba
Written By: Sofia Garza-Barba
Cast: Huitzili Espinosa, Eia Noel, Pablo Levy/ Eva Blunt, Lili Gorett, Magda Garza, Odett D’Luna
MPAA Rating: Not yet rated.
Genres: Short
Language: Spanish with English subtitles
Selig Rating: 4 Stars
Runtime: 25m
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
