The past and present collide for David when, late one night, he is made aware of his estranged father’s death in Tijuana, a city he left when he was just twelve. Without hesitation, he heads down South to reconnect with a life he was forced to leave behind. With David Se Va, writer/director Joel Villegas Saldaña sensitively crafts a slice of life film exploring the evolving meaning of home.

“I’ve been going back and forth between Mexico and the US my whole life so I think that making a film like this was really inevitable”, Villegas Saldaña admits as we discuss his short film. Co-written with Kevin Theal, David Se Va immerses us in the space between two places - geographically, emotionally and chronologically. Though I'm typically not a fan of split screens, here it is employed expertly to depict the past and present, highlighting their similarities and the contrast between the two in the mundanity of David’s life.

After the “double” exposition, the two timelines crash into one another in only one screen as we follow actor Angel Soto Castelo, the adult version of David, down to Mexico. Shot on 16mm, in both LA and Tijuana, Justin Moore’s cinematography creates a strong sense of place, while also taking us on a road trip alongside its protagonist. The color palette reflects both David’s emotional tie to his surroundings and his current state of mind.

[caption id="attachment_39724" align="aligncenter" width="640"] David Se Va Short Film

The use of split screen in David Se Va does an excellent job of tying the protagonist's present to his past.[/caption]

Ultimately, David Se Va is an introspective emotional journey, so there are no dramatic twists, but the film deliberately takes its time, allowing us to see David process the death of his father, and potentially the last tie he had to Tijuana. This patience is where the film shines, capturing a deeper moment than it initially seems. “At its core, David Se Va is a rumination on both the tangible and intangible borders that separate the US from Mexico, childhood from adulthood, and the past from the present”, the director confirmed when explaining the film's emotional depth.

Both Angel Soto Castelo and Hermes Carrasco Lopez, as the two versions of the titular character, flesh out the protagonist with a genuine authenticity, conveying so much with very few lines. Though they are on the same journey, traveling in opposite directions and at different points in their lives, they share a similar nonchalance that covers David’s true feelings with sincerity. Their performances converge in the same safe place: the beach. This setting providing a fitting and thought-provoking conclusion to a film rich in emotional depth.

Ahead of its online debut on S/W, David Se Va hit the festival circuit with a World Premiere at the 2023 edition of the Palm Springs ShortFest. Villegas Saldaña is currently writing two features, while still working as a music video director.