As in many parts of the world, Latino’s, and other ethnic minorities in the USA, are often exploited and misunderstood. Like Gabriela, they struggle for acceptance on a personal level, as well as having to fight for their rights. In this moving coming-of-age short film, Gabriela (played by Evelyn Lorena) tries to reject her roots, bogged down by self- loathing. Only when she swims, does she feel reborn in the pool’s pristine waters, emerging as if cleansed, to continue her journey of self-discovery.
It comes across as a little bewildering however, for Gabriela to be spurned by a Country Club, given that most country clubs are notoriously ’elitist,’ being extremely difficult to join, whatever colour or ethnicity you may have. Gabriela, desperate to rise above this dehumanizing experience, refuses to be no more than another unseen and exploited Latino worker, and hangs onto her dreams of being a competitive swimmer and belonging somewhere.
Her indigenous, mellow and pragmatic, mother Alma (María Telón) tries to help Gabriela on her journey of self-acceptance: “God is majestic, he will help you find a way, while her Ukrainian boyfriend Stefan (Viktor White), loves her just as she is.
As Lorena explains: - “Gabriela reconciling with her mother symbolized her reconciliation with her culture and her roots. I think we all have a little bit of those reconciling moment with our parents, in some form or another. But really, what made everything magic, was María Telón [as Alma].”
Nevertheless, Gabriela, finds it hard to accept her situation:
“Why are so many Latinos in the kitchens? Why do we have to smell of water softener? Every day I’m embarrassed to be whom I am.”
Beautifully shot by Xenia Patricia, the immersive underwater sequences are especially powerful. Shimmering light shines down through the water, mystically creating a halo, so it seems to be coming, not from the sun but from the heavens above, like a religious experience. These strong images remain long after the film has finished and are some of the most powerful moments in the production.
For a short film of only 16 min, Lorena has managed to convey a plethora of emotions and issues without being too linear with the message. Water, as the source of all life and our very existence into which Gabriela’s need for spirituality is deeply immersed, comes across as so natural, that you could imagine she could remain in that watery universe forever without a problem.
“There is an innate power to water- remember it can crush a city or break a rock! (GhMovie Freak in interview with Tony Asankomah)
Gabriela searches her memories for the precious moments she spent with her late father (Miguel Girona) as she tries to find the strength and peace that she so desperately needs:
“You can be anything you want to be… you are free… like water.”
The complications of directing and being the lead actor, meant that there were intuitive moments where the actor in Lorena took over from the director, and she ended up surprising even herself. Directors and writers often mention how the input of the actor bringing their work to life has a massive overall effect on the final film, by introducing their own creativity and originality to their performance, many of which are instinctive and unexpected. Lorena talks about how the whole filming process held a spiritual power for her, and changed how she saw her own script and, doubtless, how she handled her own performance as well.
During filming, Lorena suffered a personal life/ death experience with health problems, having been in a month-long coma with daily dialysis before going on set in the mornings. This gave her a depth of understanding of the value of life that is reflected in the end product and further encouraged her to reinforce the central empowering theme of the film.
With Gabriela, Lorena has created a script that explores the immigrant experience but still avoids the message being too much in evidence. The story is carefully interwoven with images and suggestions leaving something for the viewer to fill in. By focussing on Gabriela’s humanity and her inner life, Lorena has conveyed the power of her dreams as well as her pain. This helps us to understand how she gradually realizes how she has to be resilient and accept herself for who she is if she is to fulfill her potential, as she cannot let her identity or her circumstances, restrict her ability to succeed and be the person she wants to be.
Economical with dialogue and letting the images do the talking, this is a moving debut by director Evelyn Lorena.
Recipient of the Netflix and Latino Film institute’s Indigenous Latino Fellowship
Gabriela (2023) SHORT FILM – on NETFLIX
Writer/Director: Evelyn Lorena / DOP: Xenia Patricia / Producers: Maris Lidaka, Isabelle Boulton/ Production design: Emily Marquet/ Music: Anjali Rose and Clayton Fujimora, original Music and vocals by Susan Lucas
Cast: Evelyn Lorena, María Telon, Viktor White, Miguel Girona.
