Pacurí
From the Archives
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12m
At the cusp of her Quinceañera, Pacurí must decide where her loyalties lie: with her devoted family or her wealthy friends. “Pacurí,” directed by Gustavo René, is a coming-of-age drama about a Paraguayan-American teenager expressing independence while her family fixates on a culturally important ceremony. Pacurí’s family doesn’t have much money but they’ve been able to put aside a chunk of savings for her upcoming Quinceañera (her mother plans the party, to Pacurí’s disapproval: the flowers are too pink, the dress is too fluffy). Pacurí resists the ceremony (“I’m already 15”), perhaps out of a desire to fit in with her friends at school, mostly white and wealthy. One day, she’s tasked by a friend to buy weed for the friend group chilling at the beach that night, and she must find a way to come up with $60, though her family can’t afford to give her an allowance. It’s a film about cultural identity, class, assimilation, and rebellion, all portrayed with a light touch. René has a firm grasp on the material — this is loosely based on his family’s experience — and gets a wonderfully expressive performance from Gaby Medina.
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