27/09/2024 - Peruvian director Salvador del Solar sensitively and honestly explores a friendship between two men and the power of family ties

It sometimes feels like a science fiction story, but just four years ago the world came to a standstill and for months almost every human being on the planet was locked in our homes, connected to the media, waiting out a pandemic that threatened our very existence. This is the backdrop for Ramón y Ramón, the second project by Peruvian director Salvador del Solar, which is currently being presented in the Horizontes Latinos section of the 72nd San Sebastian International Film Festival. The filmmaker has based it on a true story of a chance meeting between two boys, one gay and one straight, who meet during this uncertain time and build a close bond together.

The first thing shown on the screen is an aerial shot of Lima with its towering cliffs sliding down into the Pacific Ocean and, behind it, an immense metropolis deserted of human beings. It is a daunting and apocalyptic image. We soon meet Ramón, the first of our protagonists. He is a young and attractive man who, as if he didn't have enough to deal with the situation that has everyone on edge, is also going through two difficult times: a break-up and the death of his father, who he has not been in contact with for a long time. The emotional cocktail that our protagonist has to digest is not very appetising. In the midst of all this, a young Spaniard Mateo appears, who is stranded in Lima and finds refuge in an apartment in the same building as Ramón. The latter's interest in the new arrival is evident from the outset, and no wonder. Mateo is very handsome, he seems nice and, frankly, Ramón needs a ray of light to give him a little hope in the midst of so much darkness.

The lockdown brings the two young people irremediably closer, and although things do not develop exactly as each of them would like, this does not prevent their bond from slowly but surely solidifying. Together they set out on a journey from Lima to Mito, in the not-too-distant region of Junín. They travel there to take Ramón's father's ashes to his birthplace. This will help the young Peruvian man to reconnect with his past, confronting wounds that have not yet healed. And the Spaniard discovers a fascinating country hand in hand with his new friend. This journey portrays the natural beauty of Peru, but also focuses on the enormous inequality in the country. Ramón and Mateo travel the roads in the back of a lorry, and along the way they meet caravans of travellers fleeing the capital with little more than the clothes on their backs.

Ramón y Ramón acts as an intimate account of the unexpected friendship between two men. It is a sensitive and honest exploration of family ties, a source of comfort but also of pain. And from the most intimate perspective, it also offers an overview of a country that, like the rest of the world, is evolving towards who knows where. Perhaps towards a place where dignity and love are the norm and not just a utopian aspiration. That is the enjoyable feeling you get from watching this admirable film.

Ramón y Ramón is a co-production of the Peruvian company Tondero, the Spanish company El Deseo and the Uruguayan company Circular Media.

(Translated from Spanish by Vicky York)