In movie 'El Problemista' comedian Julio Torres draws from his immigration journey
Comedian and writer Julio Torres talks about his new movie, "Problemista," in which he stars alongside Tilda Swinton and plays an aspiring toy designer who immigrates from El Salvador, like Torres did in real life.
Fans know Julio Torres as the co-creator of HBO’s bilingual comedy series "Los Espookys" and his HBO comedy special "My Favorite Shapes." Now he's kicking off the next chapter in his career with the release of "Problemista," a movie that is injected with a fun dose of surrealism and is inspired by his life in El Salvador and his immigration to New York.
“The seed of it is completely autobiographical,” the former "SNL" writer said in an interview with NBC News. “It was not calculated at all. But 'Problemista' tells the story of how I became a standup, how I got to do the other work.”
Torres wrote, directed and co-produced "Problemista," which opens in select theaters on Friday and nationwide on March 22. He stars as Alejandro, an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador who is running out of time to get a work visa in New York.
Alejandro’s fate in the U.S. will largely depend on the sponsorship of Elizabeth (the British actress Tilda Swinton), an eccentric artist who has become an outcast. She will teach Alejandro a valuable lesson, Torres said, that will resonate with many viewers off screen.
“What Alejandro takes from Elizabeth is the feeling that you deserve to be somewhere,” he said. “Like getting rid of that imposter syndrome that as immigrants, or as others, or even if you are not any of those things, can plague you and make you feel like you have to ask for permission to be somewhere.”
Rating: 5