Sometimes, we hold on to things for so long that we don’t know when to let them go. Cristobal Abugaber’s short film, The Perfect Tomato, is about a small family in Mexico who needs to move on in life.
The film opens with Nacho (Eligio Meléndez), an elderly man who has been working the tomato fields since his youth. He finds satisfaction in hopping on a truck with his co-workers and putting in a hard day’s work.
Along with him today is his granddaughter Maria (María Fernanda Ayala), who admires her grandfather and has questions about every aspect of the incoming harvest. She hopes her father (in the U.S.) will taste one of her tomatoes.
“Nacho… finds satisfaction in hopping on a truck with his co-workers and putting in a hard day’s work.”
That night, Nacho’s daughter, Elena (María Meléndez), scolds him for taking Maria to work because her grades suffer. While at dinner, Elena tells Nacho and Maria about an opportunity to open a pottery shop with her friend. The venture would require Elena and Maria to move to the city, and Elena insists that Nacho leave his job and go with them.
Sometimes in life, we get too comfortable. We work our hands to the bone for security, and we’re so accustomed to this life that our fear of change is all too real. This is the story of Nacho.
He likes working in the field but is growing older, and his wisdom and experience could probably be used elsewhere. At the same time, change is scary and often uncertain. Can you imagine a life different from the one you’ve lived for a decade? In the mix is Nacho’s granddaughter, Maria. What future are we laying out for the youth?
Personally, I’m at the point in my life where I’d like to leave the city for a simpler life. Filmmaker Cristobal Abugaber beautifully captures this transition in life. His cast features three generations of actors bringing this story to life.
The Perfect Tomato is a sweet yet poignant tale that will make you think about your life and where you’re headed no matter what part of the journey you’re on.
"…Sometimes in life, we get too comfortable."
