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Sujo

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Sujo
Promotional release poster
Directed by
Written by
  • Astrid Rondero
  • Fernanda Valadez
Produced by
  • Astrid Rondero
  • Fernanda Valadez
  • Diana Arcega
  • Jewerl Keats Ross
  • Virginie Devesa
  • Jean-Baptiste Bailly-Maitre
Cinematography
  • Ximena Amann
Edited by
  • Astrid Rondero
  • Fernanda Valadez
  • Susan Korda
Music byAstrid Rondero
Production
company
Alpha Violet [1]
Distributed by
  • Damned Distribution (FR)
  • The Forge (US)
BEAM Films (UK)
Release dates
  • January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) (Sundance)
  • August 21, 2024 (2024-08-21) (France)
  • November 29, 2024 (2024-11-29) (United States)
Running time
126 minutes[2]
Countries
  • Mexico
  • United States
  • France
LanguageSpanish

Sujo is a 2024 coming-of-age crime drama film written and directed by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez [es] starring Juan Jesús Varela.[3] It premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize. It is a co-production between Mexico, the United States and France.[4]

Premise

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The film follows a young boy, Sujo, after his father, a member of a Mexican cartel, is assassinated, and the struggles of growing up without a father, and disassociating from the blood-soaked legacy that he inherits.

Plot

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Josué, a sicario for the cartel, is assassinated, leaving his 4-year-old son, Sujo behind. Sujo's aunts, Nemesia and Rosalía, take him to be raised in a remote mountain shack. Sujo spends his childhood in isolation, with only his aunts and Rosalía's sons, Jai and Jeremy.

As the boys grow older, Sujo and his peers rebel and become involved with the drug violence around them. During a turf war, Jeremy is killed, and Sujo's aunt Nemesia sends him off to live in Mexico City.

Release

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The film debuted at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival[5] on January 19, 2024. Its festival run also includes screenings at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival ('Horizontes Latinos' strand) and the 2024 BFI London Film Festival.[6][7]

Damned Distribution set an August 21, 2024 theatrical release date in France.[8] The Forge acquired North-American distribution and set a November 29, 2024 theatrical release date in Canada and the United States.[6] Beam Films acquired distribution films in the United Kingdom.[7]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 29 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "A consistently gripping coming-of-age story, Sujo reaffirms Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez as two of the most exciting rising talents in Mexican cinema."[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on six critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[10] Reviewing for IndieWire, Carlos Aguilar graded the film an 'A', citing the film as "intricate in meaning and scope."[11]

In September 2024, the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas chose the film as Mexico's submission for the Goya Award for Best Ibero-American Film and for the Academy Award for Best International Film.[12]

Awards and nominations

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Award Ceremony date Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Sundance Film Festival January 26, 2024 World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Sujo Won [13][14]
San Sebastián International Film Festival September 28, 2024 Latin Horizons Nominated [15]
Spanish Cooperation Award Won [16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Jones, Holly (January 18, 2024). "UTA Snaps Up Domestic Sales for Buzzy Mexican Sundance Title 'Sujo,' 'Identifying Features' Creators' Unconventional Narco Narrative (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  2. ^ "Soju". Sundance Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  3. ^ "Program Guide | 2024 Sundance Film Festival". festival.sundance.org. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  4. ^ Economou, Vassilis (June 18, 2024). "Filmfest München unveils its full programme". Cineuropa. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  5. ^ Delgado, Eliza (January 21, 2024). "'Sujo': Growing Up in Drug Wars - The Daily Utah Chronicle". Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Kay, Jeremy (September 6, 2024). "The Forge lands North American rights to Sundance prize-winner 'Sujo', plans awards run (exclusive)". ScreenDaily.
  7. ^ a b Tabbara, Mona (September 10, 2024). "Sundance winner 'Sujo' picked up for UK by new distribution outfit Beam Films (exclusive)". ScreenDaily.
  8. ^ Lépine, Cédric (August 13, 2024). "Entretien avec Astrid Rondero, coréalisatrice du film "Hijo de sicario" (Sujo)". Mediapart.
  9. ^ "Sujo". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 17, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  10. ^ "Sujo". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  11. ^ Aguilar, Carlos (January 19, 2024). "'Sujo' Review: A Darkly Lyrical Portrait of the Systems That Force Mexican Men Into the Drug Wars". IndieWire. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  12. ^ "'Sujo', Astrid Rondero y Fernanda Valadez, representará a México en los Oscar y Goya". La Crónica de Hoy. September 23, 2024.
  13. ^ Rodríguez, Andrés (January 26, 2024). "'Sujo' de las mexicanas Astrid Rondero y Fernanda Valadez, gana el premio a mejor película internacional en Sundance". El País. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  14. ^ "The Complete List of 2024 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners". Sundance Film Festival. January 26, 2024.
  15. ^ Taylor, Nick. "San Sebastián Announces Their Competition Slate!". The Film Experience. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  16. ^ "Todos los ganadores del Festival de San Sebastián 2024". Escribiendo Cine. September 28, 2024.
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