X500

This is a film with minimal dialog. There's a lot of periods with no dialog at all, just people staring into space. It's the kind of film that probably has a very tiny niche audience and was not intended for global release.

I saw x500 at the palm springs film festival January 7, 2017. The director spoke afterward. I was extremely impressed by this film. The film moves quickly and as there are 3 story lines it never lags. The director really was able to capture not only how difficult emigrating to a foreign land can be, but also the effects that has on the location. The acting was outstanding: quite a feat for a film starring newcomers. I was able to relate specifically to the maria character as I too got shipped to another country for high school; so I can say emphatically that the director really understands the topic. Also, in the Colombia portion of the film, the 2 9 year old boys gave amazing performances. It is a very moving film and I think just about anyone can relate to it as these type of issues are universal.

This film tells the story of young migrants trying to fit in.

In Mexico City David has arrived from his village to be a construction worker after his father's death and is introduced into the punk scene. However his cousin wants him to be a gang member.

Alex has been deported from the USA to his poverty stricken and gang infested fishing village in Columbia. He now cuts people up for local gangs and dumps their bodies in the mangrove swamp. His younger brother knows what he has been up to and might even follow his path.

Filipina teenager Maria has to come to live with her grandmother in Canada after the death of her mother. She fights back at school after being bullied and is expelled. She continues to be rebellious, mixing with other Filipina teenagers.

There is no connection between the three stories and it has a multi language dialogue but the film does slowly draw you in. Director Juan Andrés Arango adds some visual flair here and there.

It is a film that explores alienation and the need to survive or feel included, especially as two of them are in mourning. Despite the dire circumstances the three people find themselves in, I found it comical to see David getting a blue mohican punk hairstyle, 40 years after it first became fashionable in Britain.