Fine Young Men (Hombres íntegros)
Alf encounters a new student at his Catholic school who captivates him, leading him away from his lifelong friends. When faced with adversity, Alf betrays this attraction, opting to display his masculinity to the others. This choice results in dire consequences that will leave an indelible mark on them all.
Alejandro Andrade Pease’s FINE YOUNG MEN reflects on identity and the fear of being oneself in a socially privileged, machista, and classist environment. It’s coming of age meets murder meets corruption, the bro code and conspiracy of silence, and that does a blunt job of explaining what the film does so much more elegantly, sparely, tenderly and, well, more effectively than my explanation does. The story is inspired by Pease’s experiences as a teenager in a school like the one depicted in the film. The idea stemmed from Pease and co-writer Armando López Muñoz’s shared experiences growing up in the same school, leading them to create a story about that environment, education system, and mindset. Its main actor Andrés Revo won the acting prize at Morelia Film Festival in Mexico where the film world-premiered.