With unnaturally rich colors, as if ripped from the illustrated pages of a sacred tome, the idyllic vistas captured by cinematographer Alfonso Herrera Salcedo ( “A Love Song”) play into the film’s mordant tone, serving not as a truthful depiction of reality but a reflection of how this fraternal organization sees its domain as a holy paradise, untainted by the world.ĭel Paso often opts for obvious imagery in an effort to question its meaning within the heightened context of his story. While “The Hole in the Fence” initially seems to head toward the discovery of a culprit that will validate the fright instilled in the youths, a potent revelation, written between the lines, points to something even more insidious: the generational transfer of influence, status and outdated masculinity under the guise of religious righteousness by any means necessary. It all happens under the supervision of the adults tasked with their growth. Eduardo begins mimicking the behaviors of his aggressors as an act of self-preservation, while Joaquin (Lucciano Kurti), whose sensitive disposition is seen as weakness, learns a warped sense of loyalty. As he exposes the perpetuation of prejudice as a means to preserve white patriarchal tribalism, the Mexican filmmaker, along with co-writer Lucy Pawlak, succeed at holding the upper crust accountable for their own behaviors and classist apprehensions rather than taking a both-sides approach.Įven if some of the frat house-like scenarios of abuse, where homophobia and violence abound among the young men, lack subtly, their visceral cruelty still unsettles.
He soon becomes target to racist attacks.ĭel Paso injects satirical undertones like this into his troubling narrative. There’s Jordi (trans actor Valeria Lamm), a petulant bully accustomed to his malevolent deeds going unpunished, and Eduardo (Yubah Ortega), a dark-skinned, economically disadvantaged kid allowed in the institution thanks to a “benevolent” scholarship. Their indoctrination into bigoted ideologies unfolds in “The Hole in the Fence,” an incisive coming-of-age drama from writer-director Joaquin del Paso.įrom the rowdy group of students, a handful of them stand out. Since class and race remain deeply intertwined in the power structures of Mexican society, it’s no surprise that the bulk of the wealthy adolescents have a pale white complexion - some even sport blonde hair.
Taught to fear the humble local residents, they stay within the school limits. Just beyond its gates, their instructors warn the boys, poverty and crime lurk. Postcard-perfect views paint a deceiving picture of peacefulness in the countryside around Los Pinos, a Catholic, male-only summer camp for the teenage sons of the conservative Mexican elite.
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