Big or small, the goals we have in life exact some sort of toll on us. They are there to test whether we truly want them or not. Living undocumented in the American South, Gabriela’s (Evelyn Lorena) desire to prove herself on the local swim team grows stronger by the day. Her aspirations seem reachable from the outside looking in, but for the young woman, circumstances have forced her to second-guess herself. A meditation on a dreamchaser’s complicated state of mind, writer, director, and star Evelyn Lorena brings a powerful character study to the Oscar-qualifying race.
It’s a compelling case of self-perception and the perception of others pulling a person in different directions. Gabriela deals with these on a daily basis, stuck between being regarded as just another immigrant and a legitimate athlete. This doesn’t just manifest in the outside world, but also within the safety of her own home. Her own mother (María Telón) acknowledges how it’s a benefit to her that she “turned out white like her dad,” while her American boyfriend Stefan (Viktor White) encourages her to live freely, just like her father (Miguel Girona) once taught her.
Gabriela wants to swim, both for sports sake and for herself, but struggling to come to grips with her inner turmoil, the risk of drowning creeps into the back of her mind. “I want to change. But I don’t know how,” she murmurs to herself.
Lorena’s story doesn’t dangle the prospect of Gabriela ever possibly assimilating into her community or local athletic team; that is far from the point. Though they remain key aspects, it’s the question of whether she can indeed balance herself while being caught in the middle of who she wants to be and what others wish. It may all be conveyed with a dreamy, artistically sound presentation, but this journey has no easy decisions, and the short navigates it with a clear vision in mind. Pulling double or even triple duty on one’s film can often be difficult, but Lorena carries herself with a vulnerability and confidence that makes her casting absolutely justified. Believability hinges on subtlety, and she has that in spades, making every moment spent with her character matter in the bigger picture.
Gabriela features a breakout performance from writer/director Evelyn Lorena and a moving portrait of determination in the face of self-doubt.
