In French “tu me manques” means “you are missing from me” and this film deals with the suicide and loss of Gabriel, a young gay man from Bolivia who comes to live in New York and falls in love with another gay man named Sebastian. Directed by Rodrigo Bellott, the film won several awards at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2019 and stars Oscar Martinez and Fernando Barbosa. Unique in presentation, the film moves from Jorge’s search for answers and information about his deceased son to flashbacks of Gabriel’s life in New York with Sebastian. The film also looks at the way Sebastian struggles to come to terms with his grief by writing and presenting a play about Gabriel. It touches on the difficult personal choices that individuals in the LGBTQ+ community must make, and, the importance of parents’ love and acceptance of these choices.
Tu Me Manques begins in Bolivia with Jorge searching social media for information about his son Gabriel, who recently committed suicide in the United States. Looking at chat messages, Jorge discovers Gabriel’s partner, a gay man named Sebastian living in New York; Jorge contacts him over the Internet and expresses how upset he is before accusing Sebastian of ruining his son. Learning of Gabriel’s suicide, Sebastian is immediately overcome with grief.
Wanting to confront Sebastian, Jorge leaves Bolivia and comes to New York to find Sebastian and learn more about his son. While the men are antagonistic toward each other at first, they soften as they become more acquainted. The two men visit places Gabriel liked while he lived in New York, and, Sebastian introduces Jorge to many of the individuals in the gay community. Humorous scenes lighten the drama.
Flashbacks show how Gabriel and Sebastian become acquainted as well as divulge their loving relationship and Gabriel’s own inner conflicts toward the end. Jorge wrestles with his religion and beliefs as he confronts new information about what it means to be gay. With humor, passion, and a message of acceptance, Tu Me Manques contains a noteworthy story; and, Oscar Martinez, playing Jorge, tells the story best with a sincere performance of a parent who loses a son to suicide. A touching choice for LGBTQ+ film collections.