The Other Tom / El Otro Tom

Directed by: Rodrigo Pla, Laura Santullo

Writers: Rodrigo Pla, Laura Santullo

Produced by: Alejandro Icaza

Cast: Julia Chavez, Israel Rodriguez Bertorelli

A single mother and her 9-year-old son live alone in the U.S., relying on a thin public safety net to survive. When the boy is hastily diagnosed with ADHD, their fraught bond is pushed to its limit in this tender, thought-provoking domestic drama that tackles thorny matters of medication and parental autonomy.

The fifth collaboration between the Uruguayan-Mexican creative duo of Rodrigo Plá and Laura Santullo (A Monster with a Thousand Heads), based on a novel by Santullo, tells the story of Elena, a working-class single mom and her nine-year-old son, Tom, who has been diagnosed with ADHD. Elena risks losing custody when she refuses to continue medicating Tom after an accident alerts her of his treatment’s side effects. Set in the border city of El Paso, Texas, this gripping and intimate drama is anchored by potent performances from Julia Chávez and Israel Rodriguez Bertorelli.