A Male

A Male (Spanish: Un varón) is a 2022 drama film written and directed by Fabián Hernández Alvarado in his directorial debut. Starring Felipe Ramírez Espitia. It is about a teenager who will have to face the ferocity of his neighborhood where the codes of masculinity and the law of the strongest is mandatory to survive. It is a co-production between Colombia, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

A Male had its world premiere on May 24, 2022, at Directors' Fortnight at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Caméra d'Or and the Queer Palm. It was selected as the Colombian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.

Synopsis
Carlos lives in a boarding school in the center of Bogotá, a kind of refuge where the harshness and troubles of life are mitigated. Carlos longs to spend Christmas with his mother and sister, immersed in circles of urban violence. Upon leaving the boarding school, Carlos confronts the rigor of the streets of his neighborhood, where the law of the strongest, the most masculine prevails. He will have to choose between following these codes of masculinity or trusting his deep nature.

Cast
The actors participating in this film are:


 * Felipe Ramírez Espitia as Carlos
 * Juanita Carrillo Ortiz as Nicole
 * Jhonathan Steven Rodríguez as Freddy

Production
Principal photography began in 2021 for 5 weeks in the Las Cruces, San Bernardo and Santa Fe neighborhoods, as well as Los Mártires with the La Pepita, La Estanzuela and Voto Nacional neighborhoods and in Puente Aranda in the UPI Integral Protection Unit located in Bogotá, Colombia.

Festivals
A Male had its world premiere on May 24, 2022, at Directors' Fortnight at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, then screened on August 4, 2022, at the 26th Lima Film Festival, on September 22, 2022, at the 70th San Sebastian International Film Festival and on March 24, 2023, at the Cartagena International Film Festival.

Theatrical
It was released commercially on March 15, 2023, in French theaters and on April 13 of the same year in Colombian theaters.

Critical reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10.