Gift of the Magi
From the Archives
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Drama, Short Films, 01-Oct-2022
On the eve of Three Kings Day, a boy answers a forbidden phone call and begins to understand his place among family secrets. “Gift of the Magi,” directed by Casiano R. Hamer, is a 16mm portrait that weaves together a tapestry of family history, Biblical stories, painful absences, and the possibility of magic. Maceo is an Afro-Latina kid living in New York with his single mother. As she prepares food for the holiday, Maceo is under strict orders not to answer the telephone, which has been ringing off the hook. When his mother heads to a bodega for some last minute items, however, his curiosity gets the better of him and he’s greeted with an attempted reconciliation from a father figure. Punctuated by vivid images of a man in Wise Men garb emerging with gifts, Hamer’s film strikes a unique balance of surreal dreaminess and tender family drama. -KA. Writer, director: Casiano R. Hamer. Cast: Joshua Garcia, Catia Ramos, Kevin Bencosme. Narrator: Juana Fernandez-Hamer. Director of Photographer: Art Parnitudom. Editor: Valentina Hueck. Producer: Manya Glassman. Producer: Victor Pigasse. Assistant Director: Elizabeth Rao. Production Designer: Selena Liu. 1st AC: Phillip Shvartsman and Morgan Simonson. 2nd AC: Morgan Simonson. Gaffer: David Kramer and Austin Jessen. Grip: Luke Kaoning. Sound: CJ Bruce.
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