Ekaj

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Audience Member I tend to watch films from the technical point of view. I was all ready to "make-a-list-of-things-to-fix-if-it-was-me". What a surprise I got myself into when after 1h 19min I realized that I forgot to make that list. This is not really a type of film I'd normally watch but I'm glad I made this exception. I was reminded again that the story is everything in a good film. Filmed from a fly-on-the-wall perspective it shows that the director knows really well the environment and that she understands the subject matter first hand. At times I wasn't sure whether it was a film that follows a script or a documentary. The characters were so real that sometimes I felt kind of honored to be invited to participate in their journey. And the journey is something you will keep thinking long after you finish watching the film. I could go on and on but it's best to watch it first hand. Two thumbs up!!! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Ekaj (Jake Mestre) is angelic to look at - mesmerizing beauty! And the film is just as intoxicating. A gritty slice of life that almost feels like a documentary. In the vein of Kids. Must see! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member The audience gets to witness the wandering of a lost young person in the not-so-fancy streets of New York. The whole experience feels real and organic. Real people struggling through the mystery that is their live. I was touched by the friendship that the main character Ekaj develops with Mecca, a so-called hustler but really a nice and thoughtful person who cares about his friend when everybody else wants to take advantage of him. A truly remarkable movie with real human beings interpreted by very good actors who make you forget it's a film. The photography fits perfectly the emotional angle and the tone of the film. Beautiful! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Ekaj is a gritty drama about a young man living in the streets of NYC. He's trying to figure out his life and his place in it. Enjoyed the stylistic depiction of the city and the authentic portrayals of street hustlers. The actors did a great job. Well done Indie film. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Ekaj is a powerful story that is raw with truth exposing the grey underbelly of the world we are living in today. This film shows the struggles of being homeless, gay, having addictions and the fear and reality to live with the HIV virus. Jake Mestre gives a powerful performance having to express pain and loneliness coming from abuse and rejection from his father. Even more so when he has to deal with an abusive boyfriend and even rape. This film is groundbreaking as a realistic drama film with a strong message. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member I have to say, I was a bit skeptical about watching this film at first and thought that it was going to be a downer but after watching it, I have a total change of heart. I was not expecting it to be so good! I mean, yes, it's obvious that it was done on a very low budget and you can see that immediately in the first 10-15 minutes of the film but there is something about it that draws you into the story as it goes along. Especially the visuals. The cinematography style is vividly stunning, and makes the characters (who seem to not really be actors) pop out more. The tattoo guy's performance was great. I never caught him actually "acting" at all, it was all so natural on his part. The pretty young man who plays the protagonist was also great at his performance, not as much as the other guy but he made up for it with his looks, which reminded me of Japanese anime characters (in a good way). The other actors seemed amateurish and made the film lag a bit. To me I felt like they were over acting it. The camera work was shaky in many instances but it definitely complimented the overall style of the cinematographer's aesthetic which seems to be street/documentary/guerilla filmmaking and I love that. It was also so reminiscent of films from the 70's, 80's and early 90's with the grit and grain that you just don't find in films anymore. In my opinion, I think that it's missing a few key moments that seemed to be missing, like pieces to a puzzle but overall, I found it to be a very intriguing film. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Ekaj

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