Film Night – Jaripeo Documentary

Jaripeo
Directors: Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig
2026 – 70 min
(In Spanish and English with English subtitles)

Every Christmas, the town of Penjamillo in Michoacán comes alive with the Jaripeo — a traditional rodeo that draws locals and returning migrants from the United States, a celebration of cowboy culture and rural Mexican masculinity. Beneath the surface of this hypermasculine ritual, a hidden queer subculture blooms.

Co-directed by Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig, the film blends traditional ranchera experimenting with electronic sounds, Super 8 footage, and dreamlike interludes to reveal a queer subculture thriving within one of rural Mexico’s most macho-coded traditions. Efraín itself serves as a guide and protagonist, alongside Noé, a desirable cowboy who keeps his identity largely private, and Joseph, an exuberant stylist who wears his flamboyance with pride.

Jaripeo, which premiered at Sundance and had its international premiere at the Berlinale, does not seek to expose or resolve. It simply asks us to look more carefully, and to find, within tradition, the full complexity of desire and belonging.

About the Village Film Night

Film Night is a monthly event that explores the wide world of queer cinema and beyond. Our selections cover a range of genres and styles, from film history classics to the latest in young queer cinema.
Each screening is an opportunity to discover new narratives and voices, engaging with stories that challenge norms and celebrate diversity. Each screening is an opportunity to discover new narratives and voices, engaging with stories that challenge norms and celebrate diversity.

Sebastián Arcos ist ein*e kolumbianische*r Kreative*r und Aktivist*in mit Wohnsitz in Berlin, die an der Schnittstelle von Design, Kuratierung und kultureller Produktion arbeitet. In Kolumbien hat Sebastián Maricafest! mitbegründet – ein Festival, das queere Identitäten feiert – und ist Vorstandsmitglied der HIV-Aufklärungsorganisation Más Que Tres Letras. In Berlin arbeitet Sebastián mit We Are Village an Projekten in den Bereichen Marketing, Kommunikation und Kuratierung, darunter das Instinct Art Project. Außerdem ist Sebastián als Philanthropie-Berater*in bei Give Out Germany tätig und entwickelt Strategien zur Stärkung der Finanzierung von LGBTIQ+ Initiativen im Globalen Süden.

General condition:
Language: English/German
Cost: free event with registration

** Diese Veranstaltung ist Teil unseres Programms ‘Gemeinsam statt einsam‘, unterstützt von der LADS.
Erfahre mehr über das Programm hier.