LALIFF ’22 Review: Comala

From director Gian Cassini comes a documentary that is moving beyond measure. Imagine the parts of your life that you really don’t want anyone to know about. Perhaps there are family secrets you would rather not be associated with ever. If you changed your name and distanced yourself from your family, no one would blame you one bit. 

That is precisely what Cassini could have done. If he never told his family’s story, it would make sense to many. However, this authentic filmmaker opted for the very opposite. He, along with many members of his family, opened up candidly about their experience and connection to Jimmy Cassini, Gian’s father and a known hitman. 

Traveling between Monterrey and Tijuana, Mexico and San Antonio, Texas over the course of nine years, Cassini would get to know the man he called papá.

When asked about the willingness to share such a vulnerable part of his family story, Cassini shed light on how, unfortunately, his family was not unique. Many Mexican families are plagued with similar experiences. Rather than shy away from the effects of his father’s actions on his family, the director chose to use his family’s first-hand knowledge to spotlight a greater societal issue in hopes that it would create the conversation needed to spark change. 

Be ready to face multiple truths as Cassini gives you a front row seat to discovering the myriad of factors that contributed to who his father became and the ripple effects it had on the family as a whole.