I had the pleasure of seeing this film last year and I must say, I was quite surprised. Directed by cruz angeles, "don't let me drown"is set in brooklyn, ny and revolves around two teens lalo, (e.j. bonilla) a Mexican American from an impoverished family and stephanie, (gleendilys inoa) a tough, angry dominican girl whose family is mourning the loss of her sister who died in 9/11. The two leads have pretty good chemistry and gave good, solid performances. Its great how the director not only uses the horrors of 9/11 to show the profound impact this tragic event has had on the two lead characters and their families, but he also uses 9/11 as a way of highlighting their perceptions of each other and the world around them. This is definitely not a sappy teen love story. The movie captures the essence of the love and attraction between lalo and stephanie through the dialogue which is incredibly authentic."don't let me drown" is one of the coolest independent films that deals with teen angst, as well as love, lost and pain. It is a film that exposes the reality of poverty and urban life and is definitely one of a kind.