Jorge Ameer is an independent filmmaker originally from Panama and has been working in the industry since the early 1990s. In 1994, he directed The Truth Within and later founded his own distribution company Hollywood Independents in 1997. In 2001, he founded the International Gay Film Awards, aka the Glitter Awards, to recognize foreign and independent gay films. Additionally, he was responsible for re-opening the Vogue Theater in Hollywood for a brief period to showcase some independent films. Ameer has been very active in bringing cinema to Panama, having curated festivals, and started a high school film program. Unfortunately, in 2017, his mother, Sybil B. Ameer, passed away, and the two had a very close connection. Since the two bonded over the holidays, Ameer decided to make his next film in memoriam of her passing. So in 2020, Ameer’s film The Family Tree was released in theaters and various festivals.
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Synopsis
Victor (Keith Roenke) is an animal rescue worker living in Panama who celebrates the holidays using makeshift exploding dolls. He’s friends with his ex-girlfriend Alina (Anaïs Lucia), who he decides to cheer up with a holiday greeting. Said greeting comes from Roy (Michael Joseph Nelson), who shows up dressed as Santa to deliver a heartfelt message. Later that night, he gets mugged, found by Victor, and taken back to his place to rest up. Victor soon learns that Roy is homeless, so he decides to help by proposing they enter a civil union. But while Victor has feelings for Roy, Roy admits that while he’s grateful, he doesn’t love him the same way. Soon, Roy enters into a relationship with Alina and even proposes to her much to Victor’s heartbreak. Soon, their lives will be changed forever when Roy and Alina try to have a child.
Review
Going into this, I had no idea what to expect since I never heard of Jorge Ameer until fairly recently. Having now seen The Family Tree, I recognize that this film was a passion project that he really cared about. Conceptually, the film is sound, being a complex love story with LGBTQ themes that deal with love, family, and death. The main actors all do a solid job, Michael Joseph Nelson being the highlight and easily delivering the best performance. For a low budget film, the cinematography is strong, the use of Christmas lights adding color and dynamic lighting. It’s a very unconventional love story, so it’s certainly worth watching for those who are feeling adventurous and daring. You can tell that the director is big on the holiday season given how much Christmas paraphernalia is on display. It’s certainly something to admire and there’s clearly love put into this.
Unfortunately, despite the love and passion put into the film, it’s sadly marred by technical flaws and very slow pacing. The biggest technical flaw is the audio, which often sounds hollow and tiny as if none of the actors were miked. There are several scenes where the sound echoes, and it gets distracting as the film goes on, ruining the experience. Honestly, there were times where I turned up the volume because it was difficult to understand what the actors said. Technical problems aside, the film’s biggest flaw is that it’s boring as not much happens for the over two-hour runtime. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a slow film so long as there’s something to keep your interest. It’s not until the last 20 minutes of the film that things pick up, and by then, it’s disorienting. Overall, The Family Tree tried but ultimately failed under its ambitions.
Buy The Family Tree on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3nr0Wfr
