BFFS is a simple but visually well-told short story of two friends, Paloma (Inde Navarrete) and Luz (Hailey Sanchez), who spend their last weekend together as they each face very different futures. The film opens in an empty parking lot of a nondescript desert town where Luz’s mother is braiding her hair as they wait for Paloma to arrive. Luz is on her way to UCLA, and her carefree best friend forever, Paloma, has offered to drive her to the college.
When Paloma arrives in her dilapidated car, it’s with her eight-month-old baby boy, who is extremely cute. The two girls could not be headed in more opposite directions, yet their friendship is tight with singing, sharing memories, and making each other laugh. When Paloma’s car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, they are towed to a motel where a group of boys take Paloma’s attention away from Luz and being a mother.
“Luz is on her way to UCLA, and her carefree best friend forever, Paloma, has offered to drive her…”
Paloma’s inability to find a babysitter for this important trip perfectly embodies the world Luz is about to leave behind. Her future lies ahead of her, and that is what makes the storyline so crisp. With purpose, director and writer Elia Urquiza allows Luz’s coming-of-age story to unfold in front of you in real-time with just simple, small actions. It is direct, succinct, and powerful.
When a crisis occurs with Paloma’s baby at the motel, the chips fall, and life in a new paradigm begins. The two leave in Paloma’s car for their destination, but now they are on their own, divergent paths. BFFS leaves you sad, as this is not just a situation between two Spanish girls. It is about every great friendship when someone moves on in life as a young adult. BFFS also leaves you in your own thoughts about the paths you have chosen in life, especially if you are a woman.
BFFS screened at the 2020 Hollyshorts Film Festival.
"…about every great friendship when someone moves on in life as a young adult."
