‘Sujo’: A Hopeful Take On The Young Men Affected By The Drug Conflict
25 October, 2024What are the prospects of the children who’ve grown up in the drug war? Sujo (Mexico, USA, France, 2024) the latest film from co-directors Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez tackles this bleak and very real scenario with tender storytelling and beautiful cinematography.
The film follows our titular character, played by Juan Jesús Varela, from orphaned 4-year-old to the cusp of adulthood as he attempts to find his own path in a world that expects very little of him. It’s a classic coming-of-age story resituated to the highly specific contexts of small-town Michoacán (filmed in Guanajuato) and Mexico City.
After his father, a hitman for a local cartel, is murdered, Sujo’s protective aunt Nemesia (Yadira Pérez) takes him in. But with cartel activity still active in their local town, it is not long before a teenage Sujo is pulled back in.
At 18 years since the launch of Mexico’s war against the cartels, the film offers a timely look at the traumatic legacy of this exceptionally violent period. A whole generation has been born and raised in a climate of insecurity, with growing numbers of dead and disappeared leaving thousands orphaned. By focusing on the lives and futures of the children, Rondero and Valadez’s film acknowledges the lasting impact of this humanitarian crisis but also the possibilities for escape when dedicated support is in place.
To this end, Aunt Nemesia is a grounding presence in the film, providing a spiritual dimension to the tale that helps keep Sujo on the right path. Her interactions with spirits also point to the wider struggle of largely women activists working to find and claim the dead and disappeared, against corrupt and ineffectual systems.
His aunt is just one of several older women who risk their lives and security to keep Sujo safe and far away from the cycle of violence that his socio-economic circumstances would condemn him to.
Unsurprisingly, the film’s unique approach has been highly praised on the international film circuit. Sujo is winner of the World Dramatic competition at Sundance and will represent Mexico in its bid for the Best International Film nomination.
Despite the grim nature of this context, Sujo offers a hopeful outlook for children affected by this conflict, one notably fought for by a host of strong and caring women.
Sujo screened at the recent BFI London Film Festival and will also be shown as part of the upcoming Cambridge Film Festival 2024.
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