TIFF 2015: Te prometo anarquía

(Photo Credit: Here)

Every year, my girlfriends and I make a point of watching at least one TIFF film together. Last year's film was Cold Eyes; this year's film was Te prometo anarquía. Directed by Julio Hernández Cordón, Te prometo anarquía is about the lovers Miguel and Johnny, who earn a living through unregulated blood harvesting in Mexico. When an opportunity to make three times their normal income befalls them, they snatch it up and arrange a massive blood drive that involved many of their own friends.

Things take a sinister turn when they meet their customer, are paid in cash, and are asked to load the donors into a truck. Naively, they comply and unintentionally herd their friends and acquaintances like cattle into their likely deaths. Plagued by guilt from this probability, they seek retribution by murdering their main contact and making a run for it: Johnny moves to the outskirts of Mexico while Miguel moves to Texas. The film closes with Miguel reminiscing about his relationship with Johnny and their life in Mexico.

I have never seen a Spanish film before, so I was quite happy that we chose to see Te prometo anarquía. It was vulgar to be sure, but it was also directed very well. The cinematography and the score were both on point, and the storyline was something I could identify with. Black market dealings are not unheard of in my native Manila, and I am certain that Miguel and Johnny's fictional story takes place quite frequently there.

What I found most interesting about the film was its portrayal of the normality and the nonchalance of crime in the face of poverty, and the reality of Mexican culture and how easily people lend a hand to their friends. It is a poignant film, and it deserves accolades if only for its honest account of love, trust, and friendship.