JIFF 26th LOGO

Schedule

CGV Jeonjugosa 7

Date

2025. 05. 01

Time

14:30

Code

129
H
KE
12
GV
CGV Jeonjugosa 7

Date

2025. 05. 03

Time

10:30

Code

309
H
KE
12
GV
CGV Jeonjugosa 7

Date

2025. 05. 08

Time

14:30

Code

813
H
KE
12

Credit

  • Director Joel Alfonso VARGAS
  • Producer Paolo Maria PEDULLÁ
  • Screenwriter Joel Alfonso VARGAS
  • Cinematographer Rufai AJALA
  • Production Design Lia CHIARIN
  • Film Score Niklas SANDAHL
  • Editor Irfan VAN TUIJL, Joel Alfonso VARGAS
  • Sound Alina USHAKOVA, Omar Gabriel DELNEVO
  • Cast Juan COLLADO, Destiny CHECO, Yohanna FLORENTINO, Nathaly NAVARRO

Overview

Rico's summer is a whirlwind of chasing girls and selling homemade cocktails from a cooler on Orchard Beach in the Bronx. But when his teenage girlfriend, Destiny, moves in with his family, his rowdy, carefree days are bound to come crashing down.

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Review

Joel Alfonso's feature debut reveals the director’s vision and background right from its title. The original title is not just long—it is in two languages, mirroring the film itself. (The subtitle roughly means: Destiny, tell them I am not a bad guy.) The film centers on Rico, a Dominican-American teen living in a cramped Bronx apartment with his mother and younger sister. He constantly butts heads with his hard-working mom and teenage sister while commuting to sell drinks on a peaceful beach to make a living. Yet his seemingly ordinary life takes a dramatic turn when fate intervenes, permanently altering his teenage existence. With a filmmaking approach as vibrant as the performances, Vargas creates characters who are both unique yet utterly realistic, reminding us that life does not always unfold the way we expect. (Sung MOON)

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Film Source

Paolo Maria PEDULLÁ | paolomariapedulla@gmail.com

Director

Joel Alfonso VARGAS

Joel Alfonso Vargas is a filmmaker whose work intersects documentary and fiction cinema. His debut feature, Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo), marks his entry into feature filmmaking.

Keyword

List