We Are Mari Pepa
(Somos Mari Pepa)
Samuel Kishi Leopo | Comedy, Drama, Fiction, Musical, Classic
2013 | 95 minutes | Mexico
Alex has big plans for his summer in Guadalajara. He'll get a girlfriend and a new job, learn a new song with his band, Mari Pepa, and win the ”battle of the bands” concert.
Synopsis
Alex has big plans for his summer in Guadalajara. He hopes to get a girlfriend, make money with a new job, learn a new song with his band, Mari Pepa, and win the upcoming ”battle of the bands” concert. His summer expectations quickly become impossible to fulfill as he realizes everything in his life is shifting. Increasingly worried about his deteriorating grandmother, Alex realizes he must learn to deal with loneliness and begin to say goodbye to his innocence.
Armed with a full cast of local untrained actors and based on the director/writer’s personal memories, Somos Mari Pepa is a love letter to, and a voyage through, the alleys and garages of Atemajac, Jalisco. Establishing director Samuel Kishi Leopo as a new, exciting voice in independent Mexican cinema, the film skillfully and comically captures the breakdown of adolescent rebellion in a period in which boys are forced to become men. - AFI Fest
Reviews
"A gently endearing portrait of four amiable Mexican teenagers feeling their way toward adulthood." - Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times
"Samuel Kishi Leopo makes an appealing feature debut with this tender, pitch-perfect coming-of-ager." - Alissa Simon, Variety
"Kishi Leopo demonstrates a good eye for youth culture and the foibles of adolescence and manages to imbue his characters with an infectious and youthful spirit that the young actors, all encoring, unaffectedly get across in their characterizations." - Bouyd Van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter
Citation
Main credits
Kishi Leopo, Samuel (film director)
Kishi Leopo, Samuel (screenwriter)
Gallardo, Alejandro (actor)
Ramirez, Arnold (actor)
Galindo, Moisés (actor)
Iñiguez, Petra (actor)
Andrade Muñoz, Rafael (actor)
Gómez Córdova, Sofía (screenwriter)
Rodríguez, Antonio (film producer)
Other credits
Cinematography, Octavio Arauz; editing, Jordi Capó, Carlos Espinoza; music, Kenji Kishi.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Cinema Studies
Classic Films
Economics + Social Class Issues
Family
Health + Aging
Music
Youth
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Berlin International Film Festival; Morelia International Film Festival; Ariel Awards - Best New Actor, Best New Actress, Best Score Nominee; Miami Film Festival - Ibero American Opera Prima Award Special Mention; Toulouse Latin America Film Festival - Prix CCAS
DIRECTOR: Samuel Kishi Leopo
NATIONALITY: Mexico
YEAR: 2013
GENRE: Comedy, Drama, Fiction, Musical, Classic
LANGUAGE: Spanish
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School, College, Adults
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
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