The film Mosquita Y Mari is about two fifteen year old girls who clearly have strong feelings for each other. Yolanda being a straight-A student while her neighbor, Mari, is a car-picking rebel that can care less about school, that is of course, until Yolanda comes into her life. Their relationship is intense from the start. In an early scene, Mari changes in front of a mirror while Yolanda can’t help but stare for a little too long. These confused emotions continue into jealous feelings that spark when either of the girls receives attention from boys. Through out the film their relationship intensifies with scenes that portray the girls toeing the line between friendly gestures and something much more sexual.

I read the log-line before watching the movie and was beyond ecstatic with the thought that I was going to watch yet another sapphic film that deals with two high school girls; one being a rebel and the other being the nerd. I’ve read countless books with this exactly same plot but between a boy and a girl. Only recently did I read a book with this storyline with two girls and I finished it in a week; I couldn’t put it down! I have a soft spot for these type of films and books, maybe because it was something I wished had happen to me when I was in high school. In fact, while watching the film I kept on thinking back to this one girl I meet Sophomore year in High School that would constantly “pick” on me in a joking way, like what you did with boys in elementary school. This subtle interaction with this girl is actually what made me start questioning my sexuality and seeing this on screen brought back all these emotions…What would have happened if I told her that I thought of her as more than a friend? Of course I was too scared and it fizzled out exactly like in the film.

This is one of those films that I would have love to seen as my younger self, but I feel as if I seen this movie before, a young high school girl crush that fizzles out; the only thing that’s different is the POC aspect which is clearly a plus. I remember when the film ended and I was livid. This type of ending, again! The girls don’t even acknowledging their feelings for one another when clearly they know those feelings are there. I immediately knew I had to write about this. However, I didn’t think I’d find myself being as sentimental while writing about the film…forgiving it so quickly. Maybe because it hits so close to home and I was in these exact situations, feelings there but both too scared to admit to it.

After viewing the Chapman University Q&A with the director of Mosquita Y Mari, Aurora Guerrero, I feel in love with the film even more. Her passion for the film and the hardship she went through to get the film funded shows the drive she had to create a story about this minority group; both race and sexuality. Aurora talking about the casting process for this film was really eye-opening for me she had set plans to have the two female leads come from these Latinx middle-class house holds from immigrant parents and she didn’t shy away from that. She wanted to tell her story that she lived. I can really relate to growing up and not having yourself seen on screen; never seeing that representation and wanting to change that. That’s why I’m pursuing film. I want to change the representation for the younger people so they can see themselves on scene as they grow up and know that they exist. I hope to make a film as impactful as Mosquita Y Mari one day.