David Se Va
2023 · 14m · US/MX
Directed by Joel Villegas Saldana
Genres: drama
Tones: contemplative, melancholic, tender
After learning of his estranged father's death in Tijuana — a city he left at age twelve — David heads south to reconnect with the life he was forced to leave behind, navigating the emotional space between two homes through past and present.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Split-screen past-and-present immigrant grief drama — the technique is doing all the heavy lifting on a premise we've seen a thousand times. Festival circuit eats this up; I'll be napping in the back.
The split-screen conceit is the formal gesture earning the attention here, recalling Mike Figgis at his most patient. The festival run is solid though not commanding, and the premise risks the well-trodden border-as-memory groove.
Six-festival circuit including Palm Springs Shortfest and HollyShorts in a 14-minute frame, with split-screen carrying Tijuana and LA simultaneously — the technique only earns its keep if the two timelines breathe at the same tempo. The page doesn't show me the cut, so I'm trusting the festival jury here.
Reviews
Writer/director Joel Villegas Saldana sensitively crafts a slice of life film exploring the evolving meaning of home. The use of split screen does an excellent job of tying the protagonist's present to his past.
The two actors playing different versions of the titular character convey the protagonist with genuine authenticity and share a similar nonchalance that covers David's true feelings with sincerity.
Festivals
- Palm Springs International ShortFest 2023
- Newport Beach Film Festival 2023, Audience Award
- HollyShorts Film Festival 2023
- LA Shorts International Film Festival 2023
- Coronado Island Film Festival 2023, Audience Award