Tumbleweeds Film Fest: 'Esteban' tells a diverse, musical story relevant for kids

Tumbleweeds Film Fest: 'Esteban' tells a diverse, musical story relevant for kids

(Courtesy of Utah Film Center)


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SALT LAKE CITY — When you think of kids movies, you might not think of a stark, hyperrealistic depiction of an impoverished neighborhood in Havana.

But that’s exactly what Jonal Cosculluela’s debut film “Esteban” is about. The Cuban/Spanish movie screened on Sunday at the Tumbleweeds Film Festival at the Leonardo Museum in Salt Lake City.

The premise

The 9-year-old titular character, played by Reynaldo Guanche, helps his mother (Yuliet Cruz) sell beauty products on the black market in between his days at school.

One day, he walks past a home and hears the sound of a piano. The man in the home, Hugo, begrudgingly agrees to start teaching Esteban to play after he discovers the boy has a natural ear for music.

The characters

Reynaldo Guanche plays his character with nuance. Esteban is a shy kid who doesn’t speak much, so Reynaldo mostly uses his expressions to show how the character is thinking and feeling.

Cruz is excellent as the constantly worried mother who is trying her best to provide for Esteban but doesn’t always succeed. I also appreciated Manuel Porto’s Miyagi-esque Hugo, to whom Esteban must prove he’s worthy enough for piano lessons.

Cosculluela’s film is subtle and well-crafted. The streets of Havana are artfully shot, which allows the viewer to see Esteban’s life in delicate detail.

Why kids should see it

The movie doesn’t pull any punches as it shows Esteban’s impoverished life.

He wears a bandana over his face so he doesn’t breathe in fumes while he fills bottles with nail polish remover. His mother forces him to work harder and sell more so she can afford rent. The boy’s shoes are falling apart. His mother is forced to skip meals so Esteban can eat.

It’s not a story kids will be used to seeing. Though the ending is happy, the journey to get there isn’t all fun and games.

Even so, “Esteban” is the type of movie more kids should see, and more parents should seek out for their kids. The movie features a protagonist who is likely from a completely different background as most American kids.

The changing tide in more diverse filmmaking

If the 90th Academy Awards are any indication, that diversity is a trend that is likely to continue.

Guillermo Del Toro became the latest Mexican to win the award for Best Director for “The Shape of Water.”Greta Gerwig was the first woman to be nominated for Best Director with a debut film for “Lady Bird.”

Jordan Peele became the first black writer to win the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for “Get Out.” Peele also made history by becoming just the third African-American to be nominated for writing, directing and best picture for a debut film.

“Coco,” Pixar’s film about Mexican culture, won both Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.

In one of the video montages played during the Oscars broadcast, Gerwig encouraged women and other members of minorities to make movies. “The Big Sick” star Kumail Nanjiani said people now can relate to on-screen characters who don’t look like them.

In her acceptance speech for Best Actress, Frances McDormand endorsed the “inclusion rider,” a contract stipulation in which people working on movies can ask that the film include a certain amount of diversity.

“Esteban” is a powerful reminder that people from impoverished backgrounds should be the subjects of films and that they can succeed in real life. Esteban is able to follow his piano dream even though the odds are stacked against him.

The movie’s third act is a little too long, and some of the kids in my screening were losing interest by the end. Some of the camera work is awkward, too, and there’s at least one scene of dialogue that feels a little forced.

But hopefully, movies like this, that show a slice of life that kids won’t be familiar with, will continue getting made. And hopefully, parents and kids will seek out those projects.

Movies like “Esteban” can help people empathize with those who come from different backgrounds. That empathy is sorely needed — not just for kids, but for all people.

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