For his first narrative feature, Mexican director Bruno Santamaría Razo — who’s previously made documentaries — chooses a personal memory piece. “Six Months in a Pink and Blue Building” draws from the filmmaker’s own life, and in particular from the time when he turned 11 and his father was diagnosed with HIV. A portrait of a family, a study of burgeoning queer identity and a snapshot of 1990s Mexico, the film manages to be a beautiful homage from the filmmaker to his parents, as well as a fictionalized, emotive account of a turning point in his life.
In “Six Months in a Pink and Blue Building,” the story of the son mirrors that of his father. At his 11th birthday party, when all guests are asked to dress up as the other gender, Bruno (Jade Reyes) finds himself with strange, tender feelings for his best friend Vladimir (Eduardo Gómez). At the same party his father, Mundo (Lázaro G. Rodríguez), receives word that something came back “abnormal” in his recent blood test. The film follows father and son as they deal with these new realities in their lives. Acting as a lynchpin to the family, and a bridge between her husband and son, is Bruno’s mother Diana (Sofía Espinosa), the most grounded of the trio. As Mundo escapes into his artistic work as an illustrator and Bruno falls in love, Diana pragmatically tries to prepare for a future that may not include her husband.
