Review: Nadie Sabe Que Estoy Aquí (Nobody Knows I’m Here)
There’s a man in the middle of the woods. Children’s voices begin to overlap each other, then the shot gets up close to a video camera. We see video footage of young boy as he prepares for an audition. He smiles for the camera, ready to be a star. Or so he thinks. The film cross-cutting between the old footage and the present day. We can only assume that this smiling young boy and this gloomy adult man are the same person. But there’s the question: how did he end up here?
This is Chilean filmmaker Gaspar Antillo’s debut feature film Nadie Sabe Que Estoy Aquí (Nobody Knows I’m Here) starring Jorge García. The film was supposed to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, but couldn’t due to COVID-19. Luckily, we have the chance to watch it on Netflix now that it released on June 24. Don’t let the fact that the film hasn’t appeared on Netflix’s Daily Top Ten stop you from pressing play. Nadie Sabe Que Estoy Aquí is a hidden gem that will have you pleasantly surprised.
Memo has the voice of an angel. He has the voice of a star. While Memo sings in the studio, reality discusses on the other side of the soundproof glass. Memo has the talent, but he doesn’t have the look. Perhaps just eager for some kind of fame, Memo and his family allow the studio to take his voice and place it with another face. Tormented by the exploitation of his voice as a child, Memo now prefers to keep it to himself as a grown adult. Memo lives on a private shore away from cameras, people, and reality.
The story is nonlinear, shifting back and forth through time. Even then, the audience only gets glimpses of the past, just enough for us to understand. Neither time era is characterized as being “good” or better than the other. The tone is somber throughout the entire film, so each time period can only be described as being “then” and “now.” They’re different, but the circumstances haven’t changed in between those times.
Antillo also incorporates many long shots. Whether they’re of the island Memo lives on or of him wandering through the forest, they emphasize the theme of loneliness. The setting reflects Memo’s desperate attempt to stay small and hidden. In the quarantine era we’re currently living in, it also makes us question even more why someone would voluntarily isolate themselves. The repressed secrets and emotions are tangible behind the quiet, forcing us to want to turn in when they eventually burst to the forefront.
Don’t let the lack of dialogue steer your attention away, though. Even in silent moments, the actors’ movements, facial expressions, and behaviors are still important. They reveal what cannot be said out loud. The silence adds in intimate mood to the film as well. The steady relationships between Memo and Marta, a local woman who becomes drawn by his remoteness, is different from other film romances. Marta understands his pain.
Despite its silence, it makes the moments of high action all the more intense and absurd. For the majority of the film, the pace is quiet, relaxed. In the next moment, though, the editing cuts quickly and the volume gets higher than what the audience’s ears have grown accustomed to. These moments come out of nowhere, but then the film retreats back to an unsettling tranquility.
Antillo uses red lighting throughout the film, representing passion and desire. It comes from an unknown source, most likely all in Memo’s mind. Whether it show up in an empty room or emanate from Memo’s secret costume, the red makes itself known against the calm, natural color palette of forest greens, browns, and blues. The red holds its own persona. It reveals that Memo still cares. There is still a part of him that wishes to be famous in spite of the bad that’s happened. He can still dream.
However, that same red can also spark anger. After a memory of Memo’s past reappears with just a quick video search, he runs home for secluded solace. Overwhelmed by the outside world, we hear Memo retch. But instead of regular vomit, out spills a pool of red, gooey glitter. What really is stardom? It can be glamorous. It can be a metaphor for Memo’s secret talent and potential for greatness. Still, it could also be a poison that needs to cleansed out of his system.
The casting for the film is fitting. Whereas his character grows accustomed to staying out of the spotlight, actor Jorge García shines as Memo. Many may recognize García from the hit television drama Lost, where he played Hugo Reyes. According to his IMDB profile, it seems that García has not taken many roles since Lost. This fact strengthens the film’s credibility. By having García and Memo relate in this way, it causes one to better sympathize with the character. In an interview with CineXpress, Jorge García mentioned that he related some of his firsthand experience with fame to play Memo. His character does not say much, but García still manages to deliver an astonishing performance with just his presence. Behind Memo’s silence, García still communicates his character’s warmth, anger, and sadness.
There’s a reason why Gaspar Antillo won at Tribeca Film Festival for Best New Narrative Director. Unlike other films that might have focused on the rise and fall of a star, Antillo takes a different look at child stardom. More specifically, he looks at someone who never really was a star at all, but still hit some rock bottom. Without overusing it in the film, it also depicts social media – its ceaseless hold on our lives, its inevitability. The film glimpses into the devotion in fan culture as well as its dark side. Most importantly, it illustrates how the media obviously discriminates, preferring those with the blonde hair, blue eyes, and slender figure. The media has the potential to send out harmful messages that people can carry with them for the rest of our lives. It can stop people from striving to achieve their dreams and limit their self-worth.
Nadie Sabe Que Estoy Aquí successfully blurs the line between reality and dreams. There are some moments where the two themes overlap, leaving us confused and uncomfortable. Other times, they’re depicted as complete opposites. It reminds audiences that most of the time, there’s nothing we can do to bring them closer together. It feels like a drama, yet somehow moves to become an unexpected thriller. Its lifelike qualities can give one chills. It’s that subtle shift in genre and tone that will keep audiences engaged until the film’s bittersweet end.
