The 19th edition of Guadalajara Construye, a key event at Mexico’s top film festival, showcases films that confront urgent issues like climate change, military coups, industrial pollution, broken families, and widespread disillusionment.
Films Reflect a World in Crisis
Here Be Dragons by Sundance-selected Iria Gómez Concheiro is set after a military coup and explores a culture gripped by fear. Genesis takes place during Earth’s final days, The Swimmers shows Buenos Aires’ hottest summer amid mass migration, and Girls Ground focuses on a polluted coastal town.
Many films explore strained personal relationships, such as 8 Ways to Die and That Shadow Fading. A mood of disillusionment runs through titles like The Swimmers and The Monster. Filmmakers promise a distinct Latin American perspective.
A Unique Regional Take on Sci-Fi and Dystopia
Producer Juan Sarquis calls Genesis a Latin American science fiction film that challenges colonial narratives and explores humanity amid collapse. Here Be Dragons is a dystopian thriller from a Latin American viewpoint. Six of the seven Works in Progress films are directed by women, highlighting a growing wave of female filmmakers.
Highlights of This Year’s Works in Progress (June 9–11)
Genesis (Mexico): Alma must conceive a child with a forced partner to reach humanity’s last refuge, facing impossible choices.
Girls Ground (Chile): Luz spends her last childhood summer in a polluted industrial town, exploring women’s struggles with identity.
Here Be Dragons (Mexico/Chile): After a military coup, Candelaria searches for her missing brother and family truths.
The Monster (Brazil): A film editor becomes obsessed after an ex steals her idea, portraying desire and disillusionment.
The Swimmers (Argentina): Four friends survive Buenos Aires’ hottest summer by breaking into mansions of the absent rich.
That Shadow Fading (Peru): A mother and son try to connect before he leaves, exploring loss and healing.
8 Ways to Die (Mexico): After a breakup, Lex finds comfort in her grandmother, blending tenderness and dark humor.
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