SHAKESPEARE AND VICTOR HUGO’S INTIMACIES (INTIMIDADES DE SHAKESPEARE Y VICTOR HUGO) Documentary Competition

At the corner of Shakespeare and Victor Hugo streets in Mexico City sits a boarding house owned by Rosa Elena Carbaja l Within this house lies an intimate, passionate and potentially explosive story. Winner of best documentary prizes at festivals in Mexico City and Buenos Aires, this thought-provoking first-person investigation by filmmaker Yulene Olaizola traces her grandmother Rosa’s friendship with Jorge Riosseh, a young, troubled tenant. Thanks to Jorge’s intelligence, artistic talent and sense of humor, this odd couple created a strong bond that few would understand. But Riosse was also a deeply troubled man-possibly schizophrenic, and carrying dark secrets that emerged only after his sudden death With a quiet, powerfully clear voice, Olaizola has created one of the most remarkable documentaries of the year about creativity, intimacy, homosexuality, friendship and maybe even murder. This film is reminiscent of GREY GARDENS with its simple, immediate style and its tales of mysterious connect ions behind closed doors Seamlessly constructed, Olaizola’s film reveals new information with perfect timing SHAKESPEARE AND VICTOR HUGO’S INTIMACIES is an engaging, thought-provoking portrait of two lonely and bizarrely intertwined friends.