Los Lobos
(Los lobos)
Samuel Kishi Leopo | Drama, Fiction
2019 | 95 minutes | Mexico
An absorbing coming-of-age story about migrant life through the prism of its most innocent figures: children.
Synopsis
Following his success with We are Mari Pepa, director Samuel Kishi Leopo approaches a more personal topic in the moving autobiographical film.
With touches of The Florida Project, Los Lobos follows brothers Max and Leo who, together with their mother Lucía, have just crossed the border from Mexico into the United States in search of a better life. But it is not easy for them to gain a foothold in their new home country. While waiting for Lucia to return from work, the kids build an imaginary universe with their drawings and think about mom's promise of "Disneyland", their land of dreams.
Told with unmatched authenticity, including powerful documentary footage mixed with fiction and playful animation (reminiscent of the Puerto-Rican coming of age masterpiece We the Animals), Kishi Leopo's film is unique and breathtaking. The film blossoms into a wondrous adventure story as the two brothers gather the courage to venture outside and explore the strange new world just outside their tiny apartment door.
Los Lobos is an absorbing coming-of-age story about migrant life through the prism of its most innocent figures.
* Spanish language audio description is available via the ALL4ACCESS App and/or .wav file when purchasing a DSL license.
Accessibility for these films was created by DICAPTA and funded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education- Office of Special Education-OSEP, project “Enhanced Access to Video for Students with Sensory Disabilities through Emerging Technology,” TV Access H327C210001.
Reviews
"Strikingly photographed and appealingly acted by the two children, the film deftly blends fiction and documentary elements into a portrait of an immigrant community which shares some of the innocence and optimism of the kids at the heart of the picture. " — Wendy Ide, Screen Daily
"An already moving film is given an unforeseen blush of relevance in these trying times by refracting an immigration story through the prism of a childhood experience of forced isolation." — Jessica Kiang, Variety
"An absorbing coming-of-age story about migrant life through the prism of its most innocent figures." — Eric Kohn, IndieWire
"In a world so severely lacking compassion, Kishi Leopo's latest feels like the cinematic equivalent of a tight embrace that reminds us we can howl ourselves out of any storm." — Carlos Aguilar, RogerEbert.com
Citation
Main credits
Kishi Leopo, Samuel (film director)
Kishi Leopo, Samuel (screenwriter)
Nájar Márquez, Leonardo (actor)
Reyes Arias, Martha (actor)
Nájar Márquez, Maximiliano (actor)
Payán, Inna (film producer)
Gómez Córdova, Sofía (screenwriter)
Briones Macías, Luis (screenwriter)
Carrillo Silva, Leticia (film producer)
Other credits
Cinematography, Octavio Arauz; editors, Carlos Espinoza Benítez, Yordi Capó, Samuel Kishi Leopo; music, Kenji Kishi Leopo.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Culture + Identity
Economics + Social Class Issues
Family
Migration Studies
North America
Sociology
Urban Studies
Women
Youth
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Berlin Film Festival - Jury Grand Prix, Generation KPlus & Independent Peace Film Award
Havana Film Festival - Best Film SIGNIS Award
Miami International Film Festival - Best Film, HBO Ibero-american
Fribourg International Film Festival - Special Jury Prize
Olhar de Cinema - Critics' Award
Guanajuato International Film Festival - Best Film
DIRECTOR: Samuel Kishi Leopo
NATIONALITY: Mexico
YEAR: 2019
GENRE: Drama, Fiction
LANGUAGE: Spanish; English; Other languages
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: AVAILABLE
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