A picturesque Peruvian fishing village. Turquoise waters and white beaches. Sexy
men. And one of them, a local married fisherman, Miguel, has been having a
secret affair with a wealthy gay photographer and artist, Santiago, who lives
in a vacation beach house ostracized by the working class conservative community.
It’s hard to keep a secret in a small town like
this, where prying eyes and gossip are help keep people in line with the local
traditions.
Then there is an accident, and the Santiago is
caught in an undertow and drowns. No one knows what has happened, since he was
on his own at the
time. But he comes to Miguel, his married lover as a ghost
only Miguel can see.
Finally Miguel can openly love Santiago, because
no one can see him. He can walk down the street holding the hand of his wife —
and the ghost of the man he loved.
However, Santiago has a final request to make of
Miguel that will touch the lives of everyone in the village. And Miguel must
face the truth, and the choice that true love places before everyone.
This is a mysteriously eerie yet beautifully
realized film, filled with transcendently joyous love scenes on the beach and
the claustrophobic fear and narrowness of small town life. It’s about a love that lasts beyond
death. It is a beautiful elegy that restores the living with a full sense of
the preciousness of love.
Winner of the Sundance World Cinema Award, The
Undertow will be the opening film at NewFest on Thursday, June 3rd
at 8pm at the SVA theater on West 23rd Street in Chelsea. Admission
includes the opening night after party.
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