Heidi Ewing’s passionate gay romance “I Carry You With Me” ended up winning the NEXT Audience and Jury Prize at this past January’s Sundance Film Festival. An effervescent mood piece, and filled with relevance, Wing had originally set her sights for the film to be a documentary about its two subjects, but when she couldn’t complete it, she decided to tell her story through, mostly, fictitious lens.
Set in Mexico and New York City, Wing tells the true story of aspiring chef Iván, hoping to land a spot in the chef’s kitchen while supporting the mother of his child, and Gerardo, a teacher who, unlike Iván, is not closeted about his homosexuality. However, once they are discovered as lovers and he is no longer able to see his son, Iván makes the arduous trek to cross the border with the promise of the American dream at his side.
This is Ewing’s solo directorial narrative debut and it’s based on an acclaimed New York City chef whose cuisine pays homage to his beloved country. Lensed impressively by fast-rising Mexican cinematographer Juan Pablo Ramírez, Iván’s story is rendered in indelible and heartrending ways — despite the success of his restaurant, not being able to return to Mexico to see his son breaks his heart.
Despite a few narrative bumps, mostly occurring in the film’s final section, Ewing turns out to be a talent to watch. She can’t help but muddy up her narrative by turning her film into a full-on documentary in its last third, but, as they say, the journey is the destination and this is a film filled with humanism in the face of danger, one which, we can’t help but notice, is ripped from the socio-political headlines.
The film is a tender and complicated romance, beautifully captured by all Involved. Sony Pictures Classics is set to release “I Carry You With Me” on January 8. It is currently playing at the 58th New York Film Festival.