In honor of National Coming Out Day, Vidiots in Eagle Rock, California, holds a special 15th anniversary 35mm screening of Undertow (Contracorriente) by CalArts alum Javier Fuentes-León (Film/Video MFA 97) on Thursday, Oct. 10. A post-screening discussion will feature Fuentes-León in conversation with Alonso Duralde, film critic, podcaster, and author of Hollywood Pride.
The most awarded film in the history of Peruvian cinema, Undertow (Contracorriente) was developed from a pivotal scene Fuentes-León wrote during his time at CalArts in the Film Directing program. The film had its world premiere at the San Sebastian Film Festival in 2009, and went on to win the Audience Award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
Set in a tiny Peruvian seaside village, Undertow (Contracorriente) explores the lives of a young fisherman named Miguel, his wife Mariela, and his secret lover Santiago, a painter ostracized by the community for being gay. When tragedy strikes, Miguel faces an impossible decision: keep his love hidden or reveal the truth, risking scandal and heartache in the deeply traditional village.
Sundance Film Festival described the film as “rich in the details of legend, tradition, and locale,” adding that it transcends place and time with its haunting, beautifully photographed love story.
A medical doctor turned filmmaker, Fuentes-León followed the success of Undertow (Contracorriente) with The Vanished Elephant, a psychological noir thriller that premiered at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival. His latest film, The Best Families, debuted at the 2020 Rome and Busan Film Festivals and is currently streaming worldwide on platforms including HBO and Prime Video. Fuentes-León has also ventured into television, co-writing and directing Netflix’s first Colombian series Distrito Salvaje and leading Netflix’s first Peruvian original series Contigo, Capitán. His next film projects include The Woman Who Feared the Sun and Sinister, a rock musical.
