Mexican writer-director Fernando Frias de la Parra set his latest film, “I’m No Longer Here” , among the music and dance culture of northern Mexico’s street gangs. Members of this urban tribe, referred to asshare a similar style of dress , extravagant hairdos that almost resemble those of indigenous people in pre-Hispanic times. And most important, elaborate dance moves, requiring excellent balance.
that once united them in communal celebration travel with him. It’s a journey of self-discovery wrapped in an immigration story. Frias deliberately places the plot around 2010 and 2011, two particularly violent years in Mexico’s ongoing drug war.“I’ve always been fascinated by cultural clashes, syncretism and youth culture in general,” Frias said. The filmmaker first became acquainted withwhen a friend who’d studied in Monterrey gave him a bootleg CD with a collection of popular tracks.
“None of the kids in the [fictional] Terkos knew each other before the movie. We found each one in a very different case. There’s no lack of talent there; what’s complicated are their life circumstances,” said the director. The production worked around their real-life needs and created spaces for them to develop their acting abilities.“For those who are marginalized, there’s something very dignifying about being able to reinvent themselves with an identity of their choosing,” noted Frias.