DESDE ALLÁ New Auteurs

Armando is middle-aged, wealthy and living in a poor neighborhood in Caracas.  He wanders the streets looking for young men to bring home. In exchange for a wad of cash, they follow his precise instructions: No touching — he will only watch them. Armando’s routine is broken, however, when his latest conquest, the street-tough Elder, assaults him and runs off with the money. From that volatile first encounter, the unlikeliest of relationships develops. Lorenzo Vigas’ debut feature, which took home the Golden Lion at the 2015 Venice International Film Festival, finds common ground between these two men divided by socioeconomic realities but connected by troubled pasts. Armando experiences life from a distance, watching but never participating, whereas Elder is brash, loud, violent and reckless. Vigas keenly observes the subtle changes in character that allow these men to open up to each other, but he is well aware of the chasm between them that could ultimately lead this friendship to tragedy. The film was shot by cinematographer Sergio Armstrong, who also lensed AFI FEST 2015 entry THE CLUB. — Mike Dougherty