Film Movement: Manito

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Showing: Headquarters Library, Wednesday, October 13th, 6:30 PM

Winner - Special Jury Prize - Sundance Film Festival

"Mr. Eason, using a hand-held camera and a largely new or nonprofessional cast, brilliantly captures the pulse of daily life in working-class, immigrant New York: the hectic rhythms of labor, leisure and family life, the stresses and pleasures, the anxieties and hopes."

--A.O. Scott, New York Times

Synopsis

Urban-Drama | USA | English and Spanish w/ English subtitles

Directed by first time filmmaker Eric Eason, is a riveting story of two brothers set against the volatile backdrop of a changing inner city. Shot in cinema verit� style, Manito reflects a community when it transformed from drugs and violence to one of the most vibrant Spanish-speaking communities in the U.S. Although the dealers were disappearing their violent legacy remained casting a shadow over the neighborhood and its residents.

Junior Moreno (Franky G.), an ex-convict struggling to get his life back, is a product of that legacy. His brother Manny, (Leo Minaya) the salutatorian of his high school class, embodies hope in the neighborhood. On the night of his graduation party, Manny faces an ill-fated decision that could change his life forever, while Junior tries to prevent his little brother from becoming another casualty.

With gritty, luminescent cinematography and unflinching portrayals of characters that embody the heart and soul of the neighborhood, writer/director Eric Eason brings us an electrifying feature debut in the finest tradition of independent filmmaking.