None of my reviews are necessarily from a critics perspective, never been my intention. They're more like a commentary of my experience watching a film. In 2020, we have all lived possibly the most challenging year in our history, probably the most tragic, heartbreaking, and hopeless all across the board. And the film industry is no exception. This is a short essay of what I consider to be the best film of 2020: Boys State. Life happens, and you get the opportunity to see a glimpse of our future leaders; our next generation of doctors, politicians, nurses, teachers, lawyers...DREAMERS. Boys State is a surprise of a film that shows a subtle series of events that happened in Texas at the American Legions Boys State. A film that couldn’t have better timing reminds us that everything that we share, consume, every decision, every lawmaker, every tragedy, every sacrifice, every election, and every single word we say is absorbed by a new generation. A generation that is hungry to continue what it’s predecessors have left upon them, but also a generation that has a dream to make others dreams come true, paving the way for their families. Immigrants who valued and honored every sacrifice from their mothers, parents, teachers, that have shown them that they hold the key to a better America.
Boys State tells its own story through the lenses of five teenagers who have an enormous task: in just one week, lead a camp of 1,200 others into a government, built from the ground. Robert, Rene, Steven, Ben, and Eddy each represent the two main parties: Federalists and Nationalists. They all have one week to get their names in a ballot, run for state district chairs, and the most prestigious seat: Governor. To provide more info about what happens and how the lives of all these young kids change will not only spoil the experience but ruin the journey of one of the most exciting, poignant, and relevant films of the last year. A movie experience is defined by many things, some are grouped in the highs and lows of a film; a rollercoaster of emotions. We cheer for our heroes, we cry with them, we get excited about their achievements, their breakdowns, and their rise. At the end of the day, sometimes we leave the theatre thinking that we have celebrated these fictional characters that were part of someone’s imagination and wonder how their journey could have ended. Boys State reminds us that these are real people, real heroes, real hustlers, real trailblazers. They are the new generation, who for better or worse are listening, paying attention to what’s happening, and most importantly, are learning. At the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Boys State won the U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize. The film is directed by Jesse Moss, Amanda McBain, and it's available on Apple+.
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