As a child, Mendel explored the nearby forests of Michoacán, a state in Mexico, with his older brother Vicente. The trees there are filled with massive, beautiful clusters of monarch butterflies. Their metamorphosis fascinated him throughout his life and, today, he studies the evolution of their wing design as a research scientist in New York City. Finding a balance between the land of his birth and his promising future abroad is at the heart of Alexis Gambis’ dazzling new drama “Son of Monarchs,” which screened at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
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Clearly disconnected from his family at this stage in his life, an adult Mendel (Tenoch Huerta) is called home as his beloved grandmother is close to passing. Upon his arrival for her funeral, it’s soon apparent that there is now no love lost between both he and his brother (Noé Hernández). Simon has remained in Mexico working in the local mine and raising a family. Simon oozes resentment at Mendel for leaving them and immigrating to the U.S. His nieces and nephews look up to Mendel, however and his young niece personally invites him to her wedding, which he sees as a means for her to leave their small town. The highlight of his trip is reuniting with Vicente (Gabino Rodríguez), an old friend who leads an indigenous ceremony to remember his grandmother.
Upon returning to New York, Mendel settles back into his life but seems distracted by his trip. He’s introduced by a colleague to Sarah (Alexia Rasmussen) who works for a non-profit and is fascinated by her trapeze hobby. Despite their connection, however, he keeps his distance and becomes increasingly haunted by the memory of a childhood tragedy that involved both his brother and his parents. These dreams become more prominent as his return trip for the nuptials grows closer.
Already the recipient of the festival’s annual Alfred P. Sloan Prize for a motion picture that focuses on science as a theme, Gambis’ feature debut is a wondrous reflection of a man torn by conflicting loyalties, his passion for his life work, and the beauty around him. It’s an ambitious film that interweaves surreal imagery and real-life events with unexpected visual aplomb. While the contemporary hardships of the border wall and the “Orange leader” are consistently referenced so are flashbacks to Mendel’s memory of being trapped underwater in a flooded home or his conjuring a monarch design within the ice cracks on his apartment windows. And like the monarchs he studies for hours under a microscope, Mendel is finally coming out of his cocoon for the world to see.
While many filmmakers attempt to marry the study of science and cinema, there are few that do it so seamlessly as “Monarchs.” Gambis, who is both a director and a biologist, has crafted a piece of art that captivates as much as it informs. He’s assisted by gorgeous cinematography from Alejandro Mejía, a fantastic score from composer Cristóbal Maryán and impressive editing from Èlia Gasull Balada.
[B+]
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