Open Cages

Aurora and Jorgito are facing the loss of their respective partner and father, Javier. In addition to facing a precarious economic situation, Aurora now carries a heavy resentment against Javier. Jorgito, in fantasy denial, does not accept that Javier is gone; he believes he has returned in the form of a bird, that he is visiting him, and his singing fills his loneliness. Anguished by Jorgito's obsession with birds, Aurora must find a way to get close to him and not lose him.

Is it good to avoid reality to overcome difficulties? This argument led me to write "Open Cages," a family drama with a touch of fantasy, which takes us into some of the deepest conflicts of human nature: loss, unbearable responsibilities, and adaptation. We all face these conflicts in our lives in different ways. For Aurora and Jorgito, these revolve around Javier, his absence and deceit have fractured the family nucleus, causing them to take different directions; Jorgito shields himself in what may be a fantasy to make the loss more bearable. Aurora, for her part, instead of getting closer to her son and helping him to cope with the loss, distances herself even more from him; she does not try or fail to understand him. Still, perhaps it is her response to the new responsibility that being a father and mother represents for her and the pain she carries with her. Both Aurora and Jorgito do not live in the present. They live conflicted by the shadow of the past, by the absence left by Javier, and for that reason, they cannot really be together. Living in the present does not mean forgetting the past and even less forgetting those we love, but only in the present can we have a true connection with those around us. Open Cages is based on many realities of families around the world. I have very close friendships where lying and abandonment by a parent is part of their lives; I have witnessed how it has marked them and even directed the course of their lives. Of course, everyone faces these experiences in different ways; in the case of my friends, I must say that in an admirable way, they knew how to strengthen themselves through these difficulties, and that is precisely the variant that I wanted to offer with Open Cages, one of hope, growth, and strength. Jaulas Abiertas is full of symbols and metaphors that represent the psyche of the characters while at the same time opening up different interpretations. The story takes place in Mexico, where, at least in my generation, this reality is more common than it should be, but also a country full of mythology and symbolism. As A. Breton said, Mexico has "this power of conciliation of life and death"; he also named it "the most surrealistic country." But the country supports the story; its theme is universal.