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In a small Mexican coastal village, there are “Things We Dare Not Do” on POV – Oct. 25 at 10 pm
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POV – October 25, 2021 at 10 pm
American Documentary | POV is proud to announce the national broadcast premiere of Things We Dare Not Do (Cosas que no hacemos), the second feature film from Mexican director and cinematographer Bruno Santamaría, as part of POV’s 34th season. Produced by Abril López Carrillo, the documentary will premiere Monday, October 25, 2021 on PBS at 10 p.m. and at pov.org. It will also be available to stream for free at pov.org through November 24, 2021.
Nominated for two Ariel Awards by Mexico’s Academy of Cinematographic Arts, winner of the Gold Hugo Award for Best Documentary and the Gold Q-Hugo Award for Best LGBTQ+ Film at the Chicago International Film Festival, and an official selection at the Hot Docs and DOC NYC film festivals, among others, Things We Dare Not Do gives voice to a powerful coming-of-age story that grants space to the many nuanced paths that this stage of life can take.
In the small Mexican coastal village of El Roblito, sixteen-year-old Ñoño lives what seems to be an idyllic existence with his loving family. He spends his days playing with the free-spirited younger children of the town and staging elaborate community dance productions. But he holds a secret. Defying gender norms, Ñoño bravely works up the courage to tell his family he wants to live his life as a woman, a fraught decision in a country shrouded in machismo and transphobia.
With exquisite cinematography by the director himself, Things We Dare Not Do takes one young person’s struggle for queer identity out of the usual urban setting, providing a fresh perspective on the issue and a moving tale of emancipation.
“It’s very moving to think that we are about to share the work that we started six years ago, to share the encounter we experienced,” said director Bruno Santamaría. “What began as a secret in my life led us to an idea, that idea led us to a journey, and the journey to an encounter. When I met Dayanara everything changed, the idea, the trip, the film and our lives. Things We Dare Not Do is the result of this journey of dreams, accidents and experiences; a film that seeks to share the feeling of the coming-of-age experience of an adolescent who takes a brave step in her process of emancipation, in her process of growing up.
“Bruno Santamaría’s Things We Dare Not Do juxtaposes the beauty of rural Mexico against the strength, bravery and spirit of a young queer person in a story that is relatable, moving and important. We are so proud to offer this film as part of our 34th season,” said Erika Dilday, Executive Director of American Documentary and Executive Producer of POV.
The short film Share, directed by Barna Szász and Ellie Wen, will accompany Things We Dare Not Do. The film explores an 18-year old influencer’s attempts to reconcile his identity online with his identity in real life.
Things We Dare Not Do will be available for streaming concurrently with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO. PBS station members can view many series, documentaries and specials via PBS Passport. For more information about PBS Passport, visit the PBS Passport FAQ website.