Title: Santa Mesa

Starring: Jacob Kiron Shalov (TV’s ‘The Knights of Prosperity’), Jaime Tirelli (‘Carlito’s Way,’ TV’s ‘You Don’t Know Jack’) and Melissa Leo

People often tend to try and classify themselves as being from one particular culture and having one heritage, but that has become increasingly difficult as people in recent years have progressively moved from country to country. The tendency to categorize people culturally and racially is the major conflict in writer-director Ron Morales’ feature film debut, ‘Santa Mesa.’ This trend, and the inability to cope with one’s new society, are the major problems plaguing the drama’s main character, Hector.

‘Santa Mesa’ follows the 12-year-old Hector (played by Jacob Kiron Shalov) in the immediate aftermath of his mother’s death, as he’s forced to come to terms with the new adjustments in his life. While his mother’s friend Maggie (portrayed by Melissa Leo) is concerned for Hector’s well-being, he is still sent to Manila to live with his grandmother Lita (played by Angie Ferro), who he has never met. While Lita is dealing with the loss of her daughter, Hector is left by himself to adjust to his new culture and life in the Philippines.

Hector is seemingly taken in by Miguel (portrayed by Pierro Rodriguez), the leader of a local street gang, when he first arrives in Manila. However, his initiation turns for the worst when is caught breaking into the house of photographer Jose (played by Jaime Tirelli). Haunted by the memories of his mother, Hector is taken under Jose’s guidance and learns the art of photography. He begins taking pictures of a local woman, Rosa (portrayed by Lynn Sherman), and also bonds with another local teenager, Sel (played by Maria Lopez), much to Miguel’s disliking.

Morales made the first decision in hiring Shalov to portray the important main character of Hector. The filmmaker has said he spent approximately six months looking for an American actor to travel to the Philippines to portray the teen who experiences tremendous culture shock when he moves to his new country. Shalov, who made his feature film acting debut in the drama, perfectly embodied the nervousness and anxiousness of anyone who is afraid to open up to new experiences in a foreign society. Viewers worldwide will surely understand the emotional difficulties Hector faces as he tries to adjust to his new life in Manila.

Shalova also impressively built strong working relationships with his co-stars while filming ‘Santa Mesa.’ Paired with the vivid disdain Hector holds towards his grandmother, based on the negative stories his mother told him about her and her reluctance to become more welcoming towards him, the young actor surprisingly built tension with Ferro. As a result of this conflict, Lita convincingly begins to understand her grandson’s pain throughout the course of the film.

Shalova also connected with Tirelli, an experienced actor who showed the teen what it was like working on a film set. The conversations between Hector and Jose, which star off hostile, as neither understands the other’ motives, intriguingly change throughout the course of ‘Santa Mesa;’ despite Hector’s naivety and questioning of Jose’s life, which the photographer resents, the photographer comes to care about the troubled teen once he learns his history. Hector and Jose’s relationship is the most intriguing in the film, as there are many attributes they share, such as their love for photography, much to Jose’s disdain.

While Hector is a noteworthy example of a character who’s conflicted between his cultural identification and the shock of his new environment, Morales unfortunately failed to include a clear-cut external conflict in ‘Santa Mesa.’ Though Hector doesn’t understand or appreciate his grandmother’s ways, takes Jose’s guidance for granted and refuses to believe Miguel’s threats, the teen never totally seems concerned with the problems going on around him. He just remains upset that his life was uprooted and has dramatically changed, and he seems determined to only rely on himself.

‘Santa Mesa’ is a notable example of a character-driven, coming-of-age drama that surprisingly features a commendable performance by Shalova, a teen actor in his feature film debut. Morales also skillfully showcased the difficulties many people face when they are forced into new, diverse situations, including moving to a new country and adjusting to a foreign society. While the drama drags at times, due to its lack of extensive external conflict, ‘Santa Mesa’ stands out for its true-to-life messages and lessons.

Technical: B-

Written by: Karen Benardello