Guillermo von Son films a scene from the bilingual film 'Ofrenda Desnuda,' which will be shown in two free screenings April 21-22 at Palomar College.

 Bilingual film featured in free screenings

By: PAM KRAGEN - Staff Writer

Fresh from an award-winning visit to the New York International Independent Video and Film Festival, "Ofrenda Desnuda" ---- a film made by North County screenwriter Carlos von Son ---- will be shown this week in a pair of free screenings at Palomar College.

Von Son wrote the film's screenplay, and the film was directed by von Son's brother, Guillermo, who lives in Mexico. "Ofrenda Desnuda" (which is Spanish for "Bare Offering") is the story of a Mexican laborer whose plan to celebrate Dia de los Muertos in his new North County community brings unexpected consequences.

The film was presented last month at the New York international film festival, where director Guillermo von Son received the award for Best Director for International Feature Film. The brothers are now shopping the film to other film festivals worldwide in hopes of finding a distributor.

"Ofrenda Desnuda" was adapted for film from the original play script that the von Son brothers wrote three-and-a-half years ago.

Carlos von Son, who teaches at Cal State San Marcos and Palomar College, borrowed from his pension plan to produce the movie, which was filmed on high-grade videotape in locations around North County and northern Mexico in 2005. It stars members of Carlos von Son's bilingual theater troupe and was filmed in Spanish with English subtitles.

Von Son describes the plot of "Ofrenda Desnuda" as a metaphor for the Mexican diaspora and the efforts of Mexican immigrants to hold on to their cultural traditions in the United States. In the story, Pancho arrives in Tijuana from Central Mexico with the goal of crossing into the United States to find work. While in Tijuana, he sees locals celebrating Dia de los Muertos and it reminds him of his wife, who recently died during childbirth. A year later, and resettled in San Diego, Pancho decides to return to Mexico to retrieve the bones of his late wife so he can rebury them in San Diego and honor her grave each year on Dia de los Muertos. But Pancho's plan goes sour when he is arrested by the Border Patrol and deported. A week later, his wife's bones are discovered in an unmarked grave in San Diego and Pancho is suspected of murder.

The von Son brothers are inviting the public to come see "Ofrenda Desnuda" at two free public screenings at 7 p.m. April 21 and 22 in Room P-32 at Palomar College, 1140 W. Mission Road, San Marcos. For information, call (760) 744-1150.