Toys, fantasy and the US immigration system: inside Julio Torres' debut film, Problemista
Julio Torres writes, directs and stars in Problemista – now on digital release – where the nightmare of US immigration is given a surreal spin
![man and woman holding painting, still from Problemista film by Julio Torres by](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sCDtxq8f7r8qEoBBbVeYo-415-80.jpg)
A hellish Kafkaesque trawl through the US immigration system is given a fantastical twist in Julio Torres’ debut film, Problemista, the first he has written, directed and starred in, and now available on digital release. It is combined with a healthy dose of horror – the horror of being an art-world outcast, as is Tilda Swinton’s character, and the horror of failing to achieve your dreams and becoming lost in bureaucratic bedlam.
The story is told through the lens of Torres’ character, Alejandro, whose childlike wish is to become a toy designer of unworkable toys at Hasbro in New York. Think a Cabbage Patch Kid, whose phone sends awful messages to her friends. Or a Barbie, fingers permanently crossed behind her back in a play on her manipulative character.
‘Play is the way in which I find it manageable to talk about politics,’ says Torres. ‘Play is the way in which I find it emotionally accessible to talk about unpleasant indignations. I found toys to be a very fun and accessible metaphor. At their baseline they are symbols, for masculinity and for femininity. Symbols for domesticity, career aspirations, for anything. So I chose to make them little problems, as it were.’
Torres swerves the usual immigrant’s story, instead emphasising Alejandro’s mother’s overwhelming love and support, and his ideological lifestyle choices alongside the poverty and degradation. In surrealist undertones, the farcical futility of the system Alejandro is stuck in comes to life, in him literally entering the twisted world of Craigslist, or being buried under the impossible inevitably of his overdraft.
‘It is very much informed by what it feels like to be trapped in bureaucracy, in an inescapable and senseless maze of paperwork. And, you know, fighting in a cave is what it feels like to have a very scary phone conversation or email exchange. And so they're really just rooted in that feeling.’
What has Torres learnt from his directorial debut? ‘Follow your instinct and rely on collaborators. Lean on your friends and make it easier for yourself by surrounding yourself with people who understand you, and the world of the story. If you are acting and directing at the same time, lean on a producer to keep you on whether or not you got the shot. And finally, if you're acting and directing at the same time, make sure your character wears comfortable clothes.’
Problemista is now available on digital release, universalpictures.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
How guest editor Marcio Kogan, during a visit to the movies, ‘discovered that something else exists in the world, real poetry’
Marcio Kogan is a guest editor of Wallpaper* October 2024. In his dedicated section, we discover how the world of cinema’s loss was architecture’s gain when a feature film failed but a dream space creator rose from the ashes
By Rainbow Nelson Published
-
Discover Tempe à Pailla, a lesser-known Eileen Gray gem nestled in the French Riviera
Tempe à Pailla is a modernist villa in the French Riviera brimming with history, originally designed by architect Eileen Gray and extended by late British painter Graham Sutherland
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Guest editor St. Vincent and Alex Da Corte on making the dark and uncanny world of All Born Screaming
St. Vincent is a Wallpaper* guest editor for 2024. Here, the shape-shifting musician deliberates with her long-time collaborator, conceptual artist Alex Da Corte, about the human condition, finding inspiration in dark places, and the merry dance with chaos that is a creative's path
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
New film, Hollywoodgate, finds out what really happened when the US left Afghanistan
Filmmaker Ibrahim Nash’at’s Hollywoodgate follows Taliban soldier MJ Mukhtar and air force commander Mawlawi Mansour in the aftermath of America’s withdrawal in August 2021
By Zoe Whitfield Published
-
First Fraenkel Film Festival in San Francisco: what to see
The Fraenkel Film Festival, at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco, sees ten Fraenkel gallery artists choose films that impact their work
By Lauren Cochrane Published
-
Paul B. Preciado on his Orlando film: 'There is no trans question'
Paul B. Preciado interprets Virginia Woolf’s work in 'Orlando, My Political Biography'
By Sam Moore Published
-
Enter the immersive world of film noir at a disused hospital in Venice
Fondazione In Between Art Film returns to Venice with ‘Nebula’, by curators Alessandro Rabottini and Leonardo Bigazzi
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Cannes Film Festival 2024 highlights: our verdict is in
What to watch or not to watch – cut to the Cannes Film Festival 2024 highlights
By Sophie Monks Kaufman Published
-
Cyber-noia, pornography, and liberation: inside the queer sci-fi of Shu Lea Cheang
Shu Lea Cheang's new film, ‘UKI’, exists in two worlds simultaneously: the real world of flesh and blood, and a strange digital landscape
By Sam Moore Published
-
‘What a Fantastic Machine’: new film explores the camera, pop culture and human behaviour
Maximilien Van Aertryck and Axel Danielson’s new film, ‘And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine’, dissects the role of the camera in popular culture
By Zoe Whitfield Published
-
Back to Black: all eyes on film-maker Sam Taylor-Johnson
Back to Black cinematographer Polly Morgan tells Wallpaper* how a shared love of French New Wave close-ups brought Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Amy Winehouse biopic to life
By Craig McLean Published