Join us for a screening of Li Cheng’s José (2018) on Thursday, February 29, at 6:30 PM. José centers the experiences of a young gay Guatemalan man who lives with his mother. The coming-of-age film grapples with the realities of being an LGBTQ+ person searching for love in a highly religious and homophobic country.

Event hosted by filmmaker Fernando Vieira

About the Film:

19-year-old José lives with his mother in Guatemala. It’s a tough life in one of the most violent and religious countries. When he meets Luis, he’s thrust into new-found passion and pain.

Running time: 1 hour and 25 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles.

About the Director:

Li CHENG, writer, director, producer. Originally from China and moved to the USA in 1999 and now world-nomad since 2015. Key themes: society, struggle, crisis, hope. Cheng left biotechnology research in 2007 to focus on film, and his first feature, Joshua Tree (2014) is on the crisis of the American Dream – a critique of US American culture. His second feature, José (2018) premiered at the 75th Venice Film Festival on 6 September 2018 and was awarded Queer Lion the following day – for the project he conducted research in 12 Latin American countries and lived in Guatemala for two years: a struggling place yet filled with youthful hope. Cheng holds a PhD from Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA.

About the Screening Curator:

Fernando VIEIRA is a New York-based filmmaker and performer. Works include the documentary Unlabeled (2021) and experimental film Frenetic Journey Toward Muddledness (2023). Vieira graduated from CUNY Graduate Center with a Masters in Liberal Studies, Film and Media Cultures concentration (2024).

This event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St., NYC, 10011.

Registration is not required. Seating is first come, first served.

Suggested donation $10 to benefit the Bureau’s work.

All are welcome to attend, with or without donation.

We will pass a bag for donations at the start of the event, but we can also take credit card donations at the register or on Venmo @bgsqd