THE BEACH OF ENCHAQUIRADOS [OmeU]

Ecuador, 2021, R: Iva Mora Manzano, 86 min.

A luminous gem of contemporary queer Latin American cinema

This July, as part of Berlin’s Pride celebrations, our monthly program BERLATIN becomes BERLATIN PRIDE, spotlighting stories of freedom, desire, and identity from across Latin America.

From the coast of Ecuador, and from the latest edition of the Locarno Film Festival, comes The Beach of Enchaquirados(O.T. "La Playa de los Enchaquirados") by Iván Mora Manzano, one of Ecuador’s most distinctive cinematic voices. Known for his politically charged and emotionally grounded storytelling, Mora Manzano has explored themes of class, identity, and resistance across fiction and documentary. His previous features have screened at top festivals including Venice, Locarno, Mar del Plata, and numerous other international festivals.

With this latest film, he offers a poetic and radiant portrait of queer life on Ecuador’s forgotten Pacific coast.

Vicky is a fisherwoman by day and runs a beach bar by night. Her daily life, marked by silences, meager catches, and quiet longing, also glows with warmth, laughter, and a powerful sense of belonging. She is part of a local trans community in a village where gender and sexuality flow freely, a space where physical labor and feminine grace coexist, and where carnival season dances in step with personal reflection.

The Beach of Enchaquirados is a quietly revolutionary film. Shot with stylized beauty and emotional intimacy, it captures a world rarely seen on screen: tender, resilient, and deeply rooted in place and history.

The premiere is part of BERLATIN Screenings, a year-round showcase of Latin American cinema presenting the region’s best stories to Berlin audiences. The series is organized by LATIN QUARTER Film Distribution in partnership with Kino Babylon.

Trailer: