CONNECTING
Logline
In Mexico City renowned for harshness and chaos where judgments reigns supreme, two blind prison psychotherapists navigate physical, sociological and psychological perils. They weave intricate, empathetic connections between lives inside and beyond the prison walls, playing a tender resilient melody of vulnerable humanity.
Synopsis
“Connecting” features blind protagonists, Erika and Uriel, intimately exploring unique ways of perception, vulnerability and connection. Set amidst the harsh, urban chaos of Mexico City, their exterior worlds presents a sharp dissonance to their vulnerable, resilient inner worlds and relationships. As the film immerses into their dynamic lives and work as psychotherapists in Reclusorio Preventive Varonil Oriente prison in Iztapalapa, they demonstrate connection through intuitive feeling, energy and intention beneath the surface. Amidst a society that judges and labels, they share a struggle with their clients to be seen and felt for who they are.
Erika, 34, is an integrative therapist, playwright, actress, aerial dancer, and braille teacher who lost sight at age 12. Uriel, 28, is a reinsertion therapist, singer, performer, and pole-dancer born with glaucoma, lost left eye at 4 and a father who abandoned him before birth. Erika nurtures relationships with therapy outside prison whiles navigating complexities of a romantic relationship with an inmate-assistant recently transferred to a new facility. Additionally she copes through melancholy with the recent death of service dog, Dowser, and anticipates to receive a new service dog. Uriel despite coming from poverty and facing stereotypes as a homosexual is full of energy and expression, regularly performing live in public spaces or with mariachi bands, other artists and an infamous transsexual artist. Uriel is also amidst recording his first full-length original album and a life decision to remove his right eye.
Uriel maneuvers through a dangerous, chaotic metropolis everyday 2 hours each way by foot, subway, and metro-bus to his work at the prison, guided solely by his walking stick and support from fellow humans. Erika rides on the back of a tandem bicycle pedaled by her father, feeling the wind and tuning into the sounds and vibrations of the city. Inside and outside prison walls, Erika and Uriel foster intimate, joyful relationships with each other and those around them. Full of empathy and non-judgment, each sense their way through each and every precarious moment, demonstrating fearlessness, vulnerability and relentless independence. Together they bring their capacity for connection and awareness to every moment, every situation, and every human with intimacy, depth and a profound sense of connection. This film has wide appeal for global audiences through its expression of universal language in connecting. Human rights and social impact topics delve into stereotypes, disability, trauma, addiction, rehabilitation, and gender stereotypes.