''Simón'' is a 2018 short film directed by Venezuelan filmmaker
Diego Vicentini. The film is about a young Venezuelan who is seeking asylum in the United States, though his heart remains in the protests back home. It was created following the
2017 student protests, hoping to raise awareness of the
crisis in Venezuela
An ongoing socioeconomic and political crisis began in Venezuela during the presidency of Hugo Chávez and has worsened during the presidency of successor Nicolás Maduro. It has been marked by hyperinflation, escalating starvation, disease, c ...
around the world.
Synopsis
During the student protests in Venezuela during 2017, young Simón, who feels threatened in his home country, flees to the United States, but finds the asylum process difficult.
Beyond this, the film does not focus on a single character, seeking to represent many,
as it looks to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, as well as the
2017 Venezuelan protests and the United States asylum process.
Cast
*
Christian McGaffney as Simón
* Kelley Mack as Melissa
* Steve Wilcox as Dr. Moore
* Alexandra Hoove as Mrs. Moore
* Ruben Guevara as Alejandro
* Jorge Borrelli as the pharmacist
* Roberto Jaramillo as Chucho
*
Gian Franco Rodriguez as student protestor
Production
In October 2017, Vicentini, then a student in California, saw the protests unfolding from videos and social media. He says that this experience was "surreal" and like "a double life"; that he could watch the videos and be very worried, but then leave the house and "little birds were singing; everything was nice and quiet".
This difference is what made Vicentini feel "the duty" to make the short film.
The film was shot in March 2018, in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, and was originally Vicentini's thesis for his master's degree in Cinema.
It was filmed over five days
and is mostly in
English, starring Venezuelan actor
Christian McGaffney among a cast of Americans.
The title of the film is for the Venezuelan liberator,
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...
, evoking his heroism. Vicentini chose this title as an acknowledgement of all the young people involved in protests against the
Nicolás Maduro
Nicolás Maduro Moros (; born 23 November 1962) is a Venezuelan politician and former union leader serving as the 53rd president of Venezuela since 2013. Previously, he was the 24th Vice President of Venezuela, vice president from 2012 to 20 ...
government, saying they "are all 'mini liberators' because they fought for the freedom of Venezuela", emphasizing that many died, were injured, kidnapped, and tortured.
He notes that these protesters are anonymous, so "each of them is a Simón".
In 2019, Vicentini and Marcel Rasquin began fundraising to make a feature film of the story.
A
feature film
A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...
was shot in 2021 and released in 2023. The main cast included Luis Silva, Prakiti Maduro,
Franklin Virgüez,
José Ramón Barreto and Christian McGaffney.
Reception
''Simón'' has been screened in many countries and festivals around the world.
It was given a "festival tour" for a year before being released digitally.
The profits of tickets sold during limited releases went to the Chamos foundation, supporting children in Venezuela;
Vicentini met with Chamos representatives in Madrid.
The limited release screening tour was set up after the trailer went viral.
References
External links
*
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simón (2018 film)
2018 films
American short films
Films shot in Los Angeles
2010s Spanish-language films
2010s English-language films
Spanish-language American films