"The Compatriots, out September 16 on VOD, is an affable comedy about a serious subject. Closeted high school student Javi (Rafael Silva) is feeling good after pitching a no-hitter, but when he kisses his teammate, Hunter (Denis Shepherd), at the afterparty, things get awkward between these best friends. Five years later, the guys reconnect when Javi has another uncomfortable issue-ICE has raided his workplace and Javi is hiding because he is undocumented."
"I'm an immigrant. I came to this country when I was 9 years old. I very much aligned with Javi's story. In so many different ways, his story is my story. To talk about this complex topic in a humane way was an opportunity to represent my community and be able to give people an inside look at what immigrants in this country go through on a day-to-day basis."
"I think that Javi, at his core, yearns to be vulnerable and be open with people, but society at every turn has told him that it is dangerous to be open, truthful, and himself. The progression of the film shows him slowly coming to terms with all these different pieces of himself, and his character, that you can see reflected in all the other characters. There is something beautiful in Javi's dad,"
The Compatriots is a comedy that centers on Javi, a closeted high school athlete who reconnects with his teammate Hunter five years after an awkward kiss. Javi faces deportation after an ICE raid at his workplace and hides because he is undocumented. Hunter offers to marry Javi to keep him in the country, while legal counsel and friends complicate the situation. The film explores vulnerability, identity, friendship, and the immigrant experience through Javi's gradual acceptance of himself and the pressures from society and family.
Read at San Francisco Bay Times
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