Alejandro Zuno, director of the hit Netflix series The Secret of the River, makes his feature directorial debut with Newborn (Un mundo para mí), the first known Mexican film to address intersexuality.
Starring in the movie Mayra Hermosillo (Lost in the Night), Andrés Delgado (La Máquina), Silvia Navarro, and Nova Coronel.
Newborn had its world premiere at the Mar del Plata Film Festival last November and will have its North American premiere at the 34th Cinequest Film Festival, running March 11-23 in San Jose, followed by the 32nd San Diego Film Festival, March 19-23.
Newborn tells the story of Maria and Nicholas, a young couple in Mexico City whose world is upended when doctors reveal that their newborn’s sex cannot be determined due to a disorder of sexual development.
Nicholas insists on following medical protocol, which calls for surgically assigning a sex to their child. But Maria embarks on a path of research and self-reflection, connecting with an activist who challenges her understanding of gender and identity. As Maria questions the necessity of medical intervention, tensions mount between the couple, forcing them to confront their deepest fears about their child’s future.
Facing the toughest decision of their lives and caught between love, uncertainty, and societal pressure, Maria and Nicholas must make a life-altering decision — one that will shape not only their baby’s path but also their own understanding of family and acceptance.
Watch the teaser trailer for Newborn (Un mundo para mí).
Mexican director and screenwriter Alejandro Zuno won the Mexican Academy Award Ariel for Best Live Action Short Film with his film Oasis, which also won other prizes and was part of the official selection at more than 30 film festivals around the world. In 2020 his film Abrir la tierra (Open the Earth) was an Ariel nominee as Best Documentary Short. With Ernesto Contreras, Zuno directed the TV series Tengo que morir todas las noches (I Have to Die Every Night) winner of the Best Direction Prize at Series Mania (Lille, Fr). They also directed the new Netflix series The Secret of the River.