Agua Agridulce

Chicago-based actor, writer and director Jesús Canchola Sánchez makes his assured feature debut with this emotionally complex tale of Atl (played by Sanchez), a quiet man living in rural Mexico, taking care of his devoted grandmother Citalli and verbally abusive mother Soledad. Atl’s grandmother is unaware of his undercover affair with his longtime best friend, the handsome movie star Diego. But the two-faced, alcoholic Soledad knows and wastes no time in blackmailing her son in order to keep quiet. Diego’s pregnant fiancée soon discovers the affair too, but in spite of her threats, Diego keeps seeing Atl on the side. In order to live truthfully, Atl must overcome his mother, Diego’s fiancée and the traditional community that surrounds him. (Chicago Reeling Film Fest)