In Mexico City, life forever changes for 17-year-old Erick on a late-night taxi ride home from a gay bar district. When the driver feigns stopping for another passenger along the way, two men enter the car and subdue Erick. The three accomplices whisk him away to another location where they bind him and rape him repeatedly. Confused and afraid, Erick neither reports the crime nor tells anyone about it. After ten years, the secret burden of shame continues to impact every aspect of his life, impeding his ability to form new relationships, navigate the dynamics of his immediate family and make critical decisions about his own well-being. Confiding to a boyfriend about his past, Erick finally marshals the courage to tell his mother and siblings about his festering trauma. In that emotional turning point of the film, Erick’s long process of healing and reconciliation begins.
Beyond the depiction of Erick’s suffering and continuing recovery, the film is having a broader impact in heightening awareness of sexual violence not only against men, but also against vulnerable groups in general. Erick and his family have gone public with their story in Mexico, a country where discussion of such subjects has long been taboo. Their coming forward has resonated widely with victims of sexual abuse across the LGBTQ spectrum and with non-queer people also eager to unburden themselves of hidden hurts. Their activism has sparked global efforts at organizing information and resources in support of victims everywhere.
– Robert Doares
