MOUNTAINS Discovery

Screening on Fri, Oct. 27 to be followed by a conversation with director Monica Sorelle.

Haitian American filmmaker Monica Sorelle makes her debut with this lovingly crafted portrait of the immigrant experience, set against the backdrop of Miami’s vibrant yet gentrifying Little Haiti. Xavier (Atibon Nazaire) works as a demolition worker with one big dream: to buy his seamstress wife Esperance (Sheila Anozier) a beautiful, spacious house. The space is sorely needed now that their college drop-out son, Junior (Chris Renois), has moved back in while he pursues a career in stand-up comedy, a move that sparks strife between father and son. These struggles unspool through slice-of-life moments – a crane tearing into a house, a group of men smacking domino pieces onto the table, a soulful stand-up routine – captured by a delicate, discerning camera that paints an atypical view of the 305, honing in on the residents that give the multicultural melting pot its spirit. Much credit should also be given to the cast, who play their roles with palpable tenderness, and in particular Nazaire, who effortlessly carries the weight of his complicity in dismantling the very neighborhood he loves. –Javier Chavez