Niki, Tomi, and Beto are 3 young cousins being cared for daily by Tomi’s older brother, Ernie. Despite being in a gang, Ernie does his best to impart valuable life lessons, hoping they won’t follow in his footsteps. After the arrival of Tlazolteotl, the Nahua Goddess of Refuse and Regeneration, different aspects of the boys’ world, including family strife, violence, and pressures from Ernie’s gang, begin to disrupt their close familial bonds. A confluence of mysterious and unfortunate events forces the family to decide whether to stay in Northeast LA or flee north in search of safety.

Director's Statement

I was raised watching films that didn’t represent the people I loved and grew up with. I saw cliches and stereotypes but never complex, sensitive people caring for one another despite our forgotten neighborhoods and systemic and internalized racism and violence that sought to repress us and alienate us from the world. That's what Niki•Tomi•Beto is ultimately about.

Category: Short, Drama.
Themes: Friendship, Relationships.

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