Mountains

USA | 2023 | 95 min. | Monica Sorelle

In Miami’s Little Haiti, demolition worker Xavier must tear apart the very neighborhood he called home if he wants to afford a new house for his working-class family. From Monica Sorelle, winner of the Someone to Watch Award at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards.

*Restricted to audiences in WA State.

Xavier (Atibon Nazaire) is a hard-working man whose job in demolition in Little Haiti is helping tear down the very neighborhood his family immigrated to. He dreams of moving the family to a larger home, but his wife Esperance (Sheila Anozier) already works two jobs and is unsure of how they'll afford the move. His Americanized son Junior (comedian Chris Renois) has dropped out of college to pursue a stand-up career, with little earning potential to help with household expenses. Winner of the Someone to Watch award at the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards, first-time director and co-writer Monica Sorrelle crafts a poignant narrative exploring the complexities of the American Dream—where economic advancement comes at the expense of others, where children abandon their immigrant roots, and where microaggressions permeate daily life. Set against the backdrop of a swiftly gentrifying Miami, Sorrelle's Mountains underscores the loss of neighborhoods where the unique features of its ethnically specific communities are physically and metaphorically razed.

SuJ’n Chon

  • Director: Monica Sorelle
  • Principal Cast: Atibon Nazaire, Sheila Anozier, Chris Renois
  • Country: USA
  • Year: 2023
  • Running Time: 95 min.
  • Producer: Robert Colom
  • Screenplay: Monica Sorelle, Robert Colom
  • Cinematographers: Javier Labrador Deulofeu
  • Editors: Jonathan Cuartas
  • Music: Dyani Douze
  • Website: Official Film Website
  • Awards: Film Independent Spirit Awards 2024 (Someone to Watch, Best Breakthrough Performance), Tribeca Film Festival 2023 (Special Jury Mention), BlackStar Film Festival 2023 (Audience Award), Charlotte Film Festival 2023 (Best Narrative Feature, Best Ensemble Cast), New Hampshire Film Festival 2023 (Grand Jury Award), IndieMemphis Film Festival 2023 (Best Narrative Feature), New Orleans Film Festival 2023 (Audience Award)
  • Filmography: Debut Feature Film
  • Language: Haitian Creole, English, Spanish
  • Has Subtitles: Yes
  • International Sales: MoreThan Films