‘I’m No Longer Here’ is proof that Netflix is taking regional movies to the next level
Netflix just dropped an all-new Spanish feature presentation, ‘I’m No Longer Here’. Otherwise titled in Spanish as ‘Ya No Estoy Aqui’, the movie follows the story of Ulises Sampiero (Juan Daniel Garcia Trevino), a 17-year old boy from Monterrey, Mexico, who wants to keep his ethnic dance culture alive and goes through major upheavals in his life in his pursuits.
The movie might be centered on an adolescent’s struggles and journey of finding and living his passion; but what it does through this plot is to open the world to the small community of Monterrey, among other things. Ulises belongs to what they locally call themselves the Cholombianos, an urban subculture that evolved in the city of Monterrey. Their cultural significance lies in their music and dance, something they call Cumbia. We had earlier explored in details about this art form and the culture that promotes it, and which unfortunately is fading. And then, a global streaming service like Netflix picks up such stories, right where you would not expect and puts them out for the world audience to watch, learn, and experience. Art is indeed the most fascinating window to a community and its culture and movies open that window wider.
Netflix has been exploring regional films for quite some time now. But its recent lineup of locally-made Spanish movies have redefined Mexican entertainment. And now with ‘I’m No Longer Here’, it only helps put communities like the Cholombianos on the world map of arts and entertainment.
Director Fernando Frias de la Parras passionately handles the theme and weaves the story of a young man’s devotion to his ethnicity. Despite being a millennial, he is nothing what a current generation teenager from a big city is like! He loves his traditional art form and tries to keep it alive amid all the personal and social upheavals he goes through. Frias de la Parras’s attempt in showcasing the Cholombianos through Ulises’s journey is nothing short of commendable. His filmmaking is stunning, packed with color, sounds, and every possible element that defines the people, their lifestyle, and their stance on their culture.
Beyond the mainstream movies and pop culture, artistic films like these are the ones that define regional entertainment and showcase their culture. And Netflix is just about right to bring such cultures to the center with its regional movies.
'I'm No Longer Here' aka 'Ya no estoy aqui' is currently streaming on Netflix.