Luis Fernando Puente at Sundance

By Arisael Rivera

In the movie trailer we see a young, immigrant woman, hands clasped with her husband, she looks up and exhales “Por fin. Voy a empezar a planear mi vida.” The closed caption in English reads, “Finally. I’ll be able to plan my life.” The music, and the cinematography all set the mood. The exhale and quiet yet hopeful delivery from Alejandra Herrera pulls you in. That’s how we’re introduced to this nominee for Best Short Film at the Sundance Film Festival I Have No Tears, And I Must Cry. The artist behind this story is Luis Fernando Puente. He is the writer and director also known for the award winning short La Luna y el Colibri. He also co-wrote and directed El Moño with Lizde Arias which appeared in multiple film festivals in the Fall of 2022.  

Mr. Puente was born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and emigrated to Texas when he was young. He studied media arts at Brigham Young University graduating in 2019. His work is said to carry themes of “immigration, cultural heritage, and spirituality that he observes in his day-to-day life.” This particular story follows Maria Luisa (played by Alejandra Herrera), and how she must “[confront] the anxiety of losing the life she had planned after her green card interview takes an unexpected turn.” It has caught the eye of the Sundance Film Festival and will be featured alongside other films in their shorts category. Being able to experience the immigrant story through the voice and vision of someone who understands it is sure to make this film shine. I Have No Tears, And I Must Cry also stars Enoc Oteo and Cherie Julander. (The Sundance film festival runs in Utah from January 19-29th.)