Pólvora en el corazón (2019)

Pólvora en el corazón: Directed by Camila Urrutia. With Andrea Henry, Vanessa Hernández, Mauricio González. Two girlfriends try find a way to cope with the trauma of sexual violence.

“First-time filmmaker Camila Urrutia paints a gripping portrait of Guatemala City where young adulthood borders the carefree search for freedom and a desperate free fall without a net. From the first images of the film, thereu0026#39;s a haunting sense that what begins as a playful story of a budding love will NOT reach the full potential that the characters dream of. This is the stark reality for many in Guatemala-and Latin America as a whole-particularly for lesbians. Many things go unsaid in this lyrical film, and one such thing is the danger of what it means to be visibly queer in a city and country thatu0026#39;s so fiercely heteronormative and often misogynistic.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe performances of first-time actors are superb, their joy is palpable, as is their desperation, rage and indignation at a system that fails to protect them in the face of misogynistic violence. Things go array when one of the leads utilizes her feminine charms to capture the imagination of a co-conspirator-effectively denying who she is because she canu0026#39;t navigate the trauma of the rupture that sends the story in motion-and the film takes many unexpected turns from there.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI highly recommend Gunpowder Heart. Its imaginative use of a lean cast and handheld long-takes that rely on performances and the relationships of the characters is thrilling. I felt anxious knowing that the stakes that the characters faced were also stakes the filmmakers contended with in the making. All feminist and lesbian cast and crew for primarily exterior night shots in Guatemala City?! Phew, it was a ride watching. Mad respect for the process of making it.”