Comala

(Comala)
Gian Cassini | Documentary, Drama

2021 | 98 minutes | Mexico

Filmmaker Gian Cassini investigates several generations of men in his family caught up in violence, including his father, who was a hitman in Tijuana.

Synopsis

In his acclaimed documentary feature debut, director Gian Cassini sets out to uncover the truths about his broken family. Comala becomes a detective story with Cassini picking up the pieces of his absent father’s life as failed hitman “El Jimmy,” murdered in a Mexican border town. Traversing the country in search of clues, the filmmaker exposes a network of men stuck within deeply rooted patterns of machismo and offers unprecedented access into the personal ramifications of Mexico’s war on drugs.

Reviews

"A great piece. Beautiful and very, very touching." — Wieland Speck

"An extraordinary film. Full of amotional courage." — Kirsten Johnson

"Cassini pieces together an impressively insightful and solemnly engaging documentary about how profoundly the people that raise us, or fail to do so, influence who we become. Despite how personal the subject matter is, the director maintains a rigorously inquisitive tone throughout." — Los Angeles Times

"Quietly engrossing... Gian Cassini’s first-person documentary examines a family past of paternal abandonment and criminality." — Variety

"A sobering experience... Cassini’s new documentary provides a harrowing first-person look at his life growing up the son of a sicario." — The Daily Beast

"Gian Cassini deftly considers the measure of a man in Comala, a potent true crime tale." — POV, Point of View Magazine

"A vital accomplishment." — Ira Sachs

Citation
Main credits

Cassini, Gian (film director)
Cassini, Gian (film producer)
Cassini, Gian (screenwriter)
Guzmán S., Gabriel (film producer)
Medellín, Ana (film producer)

Other credits

Cinematography, Iván García; editing, Gian Cassini, Elva Guzmán, Ana Laura Zeron; music, Galo Durán.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
Comala,Gian Cassini,Mexico,México,documentary,USA,Tijuana,violence,narco,narco-culture,narcoculture,LGBTQ+,narcotraffic,guns,weapons,firearms,family,Latin-America,family,kin,fellowship,household,immediate family,extended family,multigenerational family,multigenerational household,kinfolk,family tree,genealogy,nuclear family,modern family,family tree,culture,identity,identity politics,culture wars,left wing,right wing,intersectionality,identity groups,civilization,literacy,humanism,cancel culture,online culture,cultural revolution,cultural diffusion,culture shock,popular culture,pop culture,material culture,cultural capital,cultural assimilation ,criminal justice,crime,judiciary,police reform,corrections,criminal law,judicial system,justice department,prosecution,judgement,criminal law,courts and corrections,corrections institutes,gender,sexuality,gender roles,gender identity,sexual orientation,gender equality,gender pronouns,gender studies,gender spectrum,gender norms,gender roles,gender stereotypes,sexual selection,sexualization,sexual awakening,puberty,pubescence,biography,autobiography,biopic,memoir,life history,bio,biographer,biographical,personal account,personal history,diary,personal narrative,sketch,profile,personal letters,letters,journal,personal record,sociology,anthropology,psychology,sociological,sociological perspectives,conflict theory,human conflicts,sociological thinking,conflict perspective,topics in sociology,sociology topics,sociology studies,social studies,people and cultures,human relations,human relationships,cultural studies,culture studies ,latin american studies,caribbean american studies,island studies,latin american culture,latin american history,latin american politics, caribbean american culture,caribbean american history,caribbean american politics, latin american languages,latin american and caribbean studies,hispanic american studies,hispanic people,hispanic culture,hispanic politics,north america,america,us,usa,united states,united states of america,us mexico and canada,map of north america,north american countries,states of north america,provinces of north america,countries of north america,continental america,latinx,latin american,latino,latina,latin american people,hispanic,hispanic people,hispanic people,chicano,chicana,latine,latinx heritage,afro-latinx; "Comala"; Pragda Films
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Festivals

Toronto International Film Festival; Doc NYC; Los Angeles Latino Film Festival; Guadalajara International Film Festival; Morelia International Film Festival; Santiago International Film Festival; International Documentary Film Festival Buenos Aires; Ambulante Tour

DIRECTOR: Gian Cassini

NATIONALITY: Mexico

YEAR: 2021

GENRE: Documentary, Drama

LANGUAGE: Spanish

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adult

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

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