I Carry You with Me

I Carry You with Me (Te Llevo Conmigo) is a 2020 Spanish-language drama film directed by Heidi Ewing, from a screenplay by Ewing and Alan Page Arriaga. It stars Armando Espitia, Christian Vázquez, Michelle Rodríguez, Ángeles Cruz, Arcelia Ramírez and Michelle González.

I Carry You with Me (Te Llevo Conmigo)
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHeidi Ewing
Written by
  • Heidi Ewing
  • Alan Page Arriaga
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJuan Pablo Ramírez
Edited byEnat Sidi
Music byJay Wadley
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 26, 2020 (2020-01-26) (Sundance)
  • June 25, 2021 (2021-06-25) (United States)
  • July 8, 2021 (2021-07-08) (Mexico)
Running time
111 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United States
  • Mexico
LanguageSpanish
Box office$192,824[2][3]

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020, where it won both the NEXT Innovator and Audience Awards. It was released theatrically during the COVID-19 pandemic on June 25, 2021 by Sony Pictures Classics in the U.S., and on July 8, 2021 by Sony Pictures Mexico in Mexico. It was released on digital and Blu-ray on September 21, 2021.[4]

Premise

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Based on true love, this decades spanning romance begins in Mexico between an aspiring chef (Armando Espitia) and a teacher (Christian Vázquez). Their lives restart in incredible ways as societal pressure propels them to embark on a treacherous journey to New York City with dreams, hopes, and memories in tow.

Cast

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Production

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The film is a co-production between Mexico and the United States, and was shot in Mexico City, Puebla City, Jilotepec, Zapotitlán, Lerma, and New York City.

Release

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The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020.[5] Shortly after, Sony Pictures Classics and Stage 6 Films acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film.[6] The film was set to screen at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2020, followed by a theatrical release on June 19, 2020, but both the festival and release were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7][8][9]

The film screened at the New York Film Festival on October 2, 2020[10][11] and other festivals including AFI Fest, Hamptons, Morelia, Busan, Rome, Zurich, Athens, Bergen, and Golden Horse. After several postponed release dates were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film had an awards qualifying run starting December 4, 2020, and was scheduled to be released on January 8, 2021.[12] However, it was pulled from the schedule and set for an undisclosed 2021 date.[13] It was finally released in U.S. theaters on June 25, 2021[14] and Mexico theaters on July 8, 2021, where it debuted in the top 10 films at the box office.

Critical reception

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I Carry You with Me holds a 97% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 89 reviews, with an average of 7.9/10. The website's critics' consensus reads: "A remarkable feature debut for director Heidi Ewing, I Carry You with Me finds universally resonant themes in a specific, richly detailed time and place."[15] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 76 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16]

It was cited on several "Best Films of the Year" lists in both 2020 and 2021, including The Washington Post, The Salt Lake Tribune, Remezcla, The Film Stage, People en Español, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, and TheWrap.

Accolades

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AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
Sundance Film FestivalFebruary 1, 2020NEXT Competition Innovator AwardI Carry You with MeWon[17]
NEXT Competition Audience AwardWon
Imagen AwardsSeptember 24, 2020Best Feature FilmI Carry You with MeNominated[18]
Best Director - Feature FilmHeidi EwingNominated
Best Actor - Feature FilmArmando EspitiaNominated
Key West Film FestivalNovember 23, 2020Critics' AwardI Carry You with MeWon[19]
Hawaii Film Critics Society AwardsJanuary 12, 2021Best Foreign Language FilmI Carry You with MeNominated[20]
Kansas City Film Critics CircleJanuary 24, 2021Best Foreign FilmI Carry You with MeNominated[21]
Latino Entertainment Film AwardsMarch 7, 2021Best PictureI Carry You with MeNominated[22]
Best ActorArmando EspitiaNominated
Best International FilmI Carry You with MeNominated
Cinema Eye HonorsMarch 9, 2021Heterodox AwardI Carry You with MeNominated[23]
GLAAD Media AwardsApril 8, 2021Outstanding Film – Limited ReleaseI Carry You with MeNominated[24]
Dorian AwardsApril 18, 2021Best Foreign Language FilmI Carry You with MeNominated[25]
Best LGBTQ FilmNominated
Independent Spirit AwardsApril 22, 2021Best First FeatureHeidi Ewing, Mynette Louie, Gabriela Maire, Edher CamposNominated[26]
Best EditingEnat SidiNominated
Ariel AwardsSeptember 27, 2021Best ActorArmando EspitiaNominated[27]
Best Supporting ActorChristian VázquezNominated
Best Supporting ActressMichelle RodríguezNominated
Best Production DesignSandra CabriadaNominated
Impulse LGBTIQ+ AwardsNovember 29, 2021LGBTIQ+ Film of the YearI Carry You with MeWon[28]
Canacine AwardsDecember 9, 2021Best PictureI Carry You with MeNominated[29]
Best ActorArmando EspitiaNominated
QueertiesMarch 1, 2022Best Indie MovieI Carry You with MeNominated[30]

References

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