19-year-old José (Enrique Salanic) lives with his Mother (Ana Cecilia Mota) in Guatemala City: their life is simple and routine. The picture given is that of a metropolis where violence, religion and dire poverty coexist. In this setting the main character spends his days delivering food on the streets and on crowded buses. With no ambitions, resigned to things as they are, he spends his free moments playing with his phone and looking for casual sex experiences. When he meets Luis, a migrant from a rural area, he is thrust into a new passion, not free from pain, and he opens up to self-reflection on his own existence. Their love is full of difficulties and destined to end soon. This movie challenges the popular idea of Latin America, often perceived as a paradise, and emphasises the extreme poverty of the city.
Li Cheng
Biofilmography
Originally from China, Li Cheng moved to the United States in 1999. He is currently a director and a producer. His first feature film Joshua Tree (2004) narrates the crisis of the American Dream, giving a critical view of the American culture. José is his second fiction feature film: the director lived in Guatemala for two years and conducted research in twelve Latin American countries in order to make this film. On September 6th 2018 Josè received the Queer Lion Award at the Venice International Film Festival. Li Cheng has a PhD from Rutgers University, New Jersey USA.
