Abril (Hernán Jiménez, 2026): Costa Rica

Reviewed by Heijh Diaz, Viewed at SBIFF.

My favorite kinds of movies are the ones that feel like you’ve been granted a peek into someone’s world. All the characters are developed to a point that you start to imagine backstories and possibilities beyond the plot you are given. To make a film as lived in as this, it requires a real level of care for both the characters, and the audience. Allowing yourself as the creator to surrender to the viewer, hoping that they can see the good in these complicated characters, unafraid to show the flaws that exist within them. I feel strongly that this film has accomplished just that, and more.

Abril had its United States premiere at SBIFF this year, and upon watching, you can tell it’s a real labor of love. The Costa Rican film had Hernán Jiménez at its helm, as he is titled as the director, actor, and cinematographer. Breakout star from Heated Rivalry, François Arnaud, and first time actress Mariacarmen Merino also star alongside Lara Yuja Mora, as the four of them tiptoe around a quite complicated dynamic throughout the film. This film centers around a mother, Abril (Merino) as a recent divorcee, where she struggles to keep her life together, as her relationship with both her teenage daughter (Mora) and ex-husband (Jiménez), fall apart at the seams. A man working at the bar (Arnaud), entices Abril, and she begins to create another life for herself, free from the shackles of motherhood. 

Family dynamics are crucial to this film. The story peels back its layers as it moves forward, careful to never alienate one character enough to be the scapegoat. Moments of comic relief are scattered across to ease the tension. It is these aspects that highlight the community that these folks have, the trust they’ve built, and the vulnerability that they can share, even when met with laughter. At face value, it can be told as a coming of age story, centering around the angsty teen as she struggles through adolescence, but instead this film focuses on the mother, and both the internal and external battles she faces due to decisions she has made in her life.

This film holds a special place in my heart. Going into it, I had assumed I would like it because of the premise, but it ended up being much more than I expected. The realness of these characters made the story all the more compelling, as Jiménez tells a deeply personal story in a universal way. The camera is handheld most of the time, which acts as both a nod to a plot line in the film, and a move of necessity. Jiménez had said that he had never anticipated to be the cinematographer, and probably never do it again if he had the chance, but had his hand forced because of a lack of resources. An unfortunate event for him, but a much more meaningful experience as an audience member. This way of filming places you directly in the story, feeling their feelings, and holding the weight of their decisions just as they do. This move’s characters are far from perfect, but that is the greatest thing about it.