“The Quinceañera Quest,” directed by Asya Reyes
San Diego Short Film Festival
Genre: Drama / Student Narrative Short film
Total Run Time: 5:05

The description is going to sound deceptively simple: A series of future quinceañeras visit a venue to determine whether it’s right for them. But since “quinceañera” in the United States can mean either the celebration or the celebrant, Reyes plays off the double meaning of the word in the title to full effect. The girls are on a quest for the venue, but the venue is simultaneously on a quest for the girls. Reyes conveys the former meaning in a playful manner and the latter meaning more wistfully.

The girls offer a variety of reasons for wanting (or in some cases, not wanting) a big party for their 15th birthday. When asked about their dream party, the descriptions range from “big” to “magical” to “ain’t nobody got time for that.” Some of the girls foresee a princess fantasy while others would rather be playing soccer. Some are serious; some are seriously bored.
The owner of the venue, before any of the girls arrive, prepares for the day by thinking of her mother, who is obviously no longer with us. She arranges the venue so that it is just right. Hers is the voice of tradition, honoring the customs and expectations in the face of modern girls with wildly different wants and expectations. What does it mean to be a traditionalist in a foreign land, embracing the past in the face of an assimilating population? Heady stuff for a 5-minute student project.

Production wise, this is definitely a student film. The sound is uneven and I spent much of it wishing for subtitles – not, I must stress, because I didn’t understand the accents but because I’m getting older and harder of hearing. (The music sometimes competed with the dialogue, and there was a lack of projection on the part of many of the cast members.) The acting is a mixed bag, the framing and blocking are functional and the editing is sufficient. What ends up carrying the day is Reyes’ writing, buoyed by the strong concept. The venue owner asserts that it is all for her late mother, but as her young quinceañeras, now ready for their own quinceañeras, proclaim their individual empowerment, we know it is also for them.