The Mexican drama En el camino, the latest film by director David Pablos, won the Queer Lion at the 82nd Venice Film Festival. The film had its world premiere in the Orizzonti competition. Established in 2007, the Queer Lion is awarded annually to the best film addressing LGBT themes and queer culture at the Italian festival.
In a statement, the jury justified its decision “for the courage of producer Inna Payán in endorsing a project set within a world dominated by a machista subculture marked by violence and homophobia; for the audacity of director David Pablos in his portrayal of a carnal, explicit, authentic, and unfiltered sexuality; and for the moving depiction of a pure love that unites two men, two solitudes, and two vulnerabilities that discover one another, embrace one another, and ultimately redeem one another.”
En el camino follows Veneno, a rebellious young drifter who frequents roadside diners and sleeps with truck drivers. Urgently needing a ride, he meets Muñeco, a hard-edged driver who keeps to himself. Veneno convinces Muñeco to take him deep into the hyper-masculine world of long-haul trucking across northern Mexico. As they travel together and an unexpected intimacy develops between them, shadows from Veneno’s past resurface, putting both their lives at risk.
This marks the fifth time a Latin American film has won the Queer Lion since 2007. Previous winners include In the Future / En el futuro by Mauro Andrizzi (Argentina, 2010), José by Cheng Li (Guatemala, 2018), The Prince / El príncipe by Sebastián Muñoz (Chile, 2019), and last year’s Soul of the Desert / Alma del desierto by Mónica Taboada-Tapia (Colombia).
