CANTA SANTIAGO | Omeleto

A young boy sings.


Santiago is a young boy and mariachi singer facing his first solo performance. The featured local artist at a popular restaurant run by Don Pedro, he's nervous, uncomfortable with his outfit. But it's not just the idea of singing by himself in front of a crowd that makes him nervous -- he is also taking the place of his brother Miguel, who has passed away.

When Santiago takes the stage, he not only carries his anxiety about performing, but also his grief for his brother. But at his lowest moment, Santiago discovers his brother has never really left him.

Directed and written by James Valdez, this heartfelt short musical drama is both a coming-of-age story of a young boy confronting a rite of passage and a beautifully realized and tender exploration of grief, family and legacy. The narrative itself is elegantly simple, with Santiago readying himself to perform, taking the stage, faltering and then picking himself back up to rise to the occasion. The dialogue is spare but evocative, but through the poetic fluidity of the direction and the joy and ache of its musical score, the film achieves an emotional richness that evokes love's great power to endure.

Brought to life on 35mm film, this storytelling opens with a sweeping moving shot of the restaurant that takes us through the dining room and then kitchen, before settling on Santiago nervously making his adjustments to his costume. He wears a red necktie that was his brother Miguel's. Played by young performer Jacob Estrada in a beautifully understated performance, Santiago is not just stepping into Miguel's shoes: he is also still feeling the loss of his brother. Don Pedro -- played by actor David Saucedo with an avuncular kindness -- is warmly encouraging, but his words don't quite address the depth of Santiago's loss. When Santiago falters in his performance, it's not just nervousness, but how alone and bereft he feels without Miguel and how keenly Santiago feels his absence.

But at this moment of crisis, the storytelling shifts, taking advantage of film's ability to blur the boundaries between time, space, reality and dreams to create a genuinely lyrical and touching moment of two brothers connecting. Played by actor Eduardo Togi, Miguel is the archetypal warm, loving older brother, there for Santiago when he needs it the most. He tells Santiago what he needs to get back up, try again and eventually triumph, with a heartfelt, moving performance that isn't just for the audience, but for the brother who is always with him.

The winner of the DGA Best Latino Short Jury Award, CANTO SANTIAGO ends with a palpable, potent reminder that our loved ones are always with us, and even death can't lessen love's power if those we love are held in our hearts and our memories. Woven with a belief in music's power to capture emotion with directness and immediacy, it evokes how such love still works its magic in our lives, shaping who we are even across vast distances.


CANTA SANTIAGO. Courtesy of James Valdez at https://jvfilm.com.