Leona, the debut feature by Mexican director Isaac Cherem is opening in U.S. virtual cinemas this February by the hand of specialty distributor Menemsha Films. The film starring Naian González Norvind (New Order), who also co-wrote the screenplay with Cherem, and Christian Vazquez (I Carry You With Me), is an intimate, insightful, and moving film that tells the story of a young Jewish woman from Mexico City who finds herself torn between her family and her forbidden love.
Ripe with all the drama and interpersonal conflicts of a Jane Austen novel, watching her negotiate the labyrinth of familial pressure, religious precedent, and her own burgeoning sentiment is both painful and beautiful—there are no easy choices to be made and the viewer travels back and forth with her as she struggles with her heart to take the best path.
A heartfelt, dramatic, and contemporary take on a timeless love story, Leona had its world premiere at the Morelia Film Festival in Mexico, where González Norvind received the Best Actress Award, and has played in numerous Jewish film festival internationally, including New York, Philadelphia. It also won the Best Debut Feature at the 2019 UK Jewish Film Festival.
Watch the trailer:
