Tiny Budget, Big Heart: Tijuana Film Vies for Queer Lion

Mexico's 'Tijuana, Todavía,' a film developed under the Biennale College - Cinema program, is competing for the Queer Lion at the 83rd Venice Film Festival. The production was remarkably constrained, with a shoestring budget of €200,000 and a strict 10-month deadline for development, writing, production, and completion.

Set in the border city of Tijuana, the film follows Maksim, a young queer man escaping Russia's military draft, and Chava, a middle-aged gay man navigating Northern Mexican machismo. Producer and lead actor Humberto Busto highlights the film's relevance to queer migration and displacement.

Director Gabriel Gutiérrez Morales drew inspiration from his own life growing up in Tijuana, aiming to portray the border from an unconventional viewpoint. The casting of Petr Filimonov as Maksim was serendipitous, as Filimonov himself is a Russian refugee with experiences mirroring the character's.

Adding to the film's resonant narrative, the Casa de Luz refugee shelter featured in the movie has a founder whose life story closely parallels the fictional plot. This convergence of real-life experiences with the film's themes underscores its powerful portrayal of displacement and resilience.