Pelo Malo

Obsessed by his appearance, handsome nine-year-old Junior has only one wish: turn his lavish curls into long, straight hair. But his mother’s incomprehension and homophobic frenzy stand in the way of things. Poignant coming-of-age drama feature film from Venezuela.

Pretty, nine-year-old Junior dreams of becoming a famous singer with long, straight hair. The thing is, however, that he has thick black curls… Much to his mother’s dismay he goes to great lengths to smooth down his wiry hair. She cannot stand him fussing in front of the mirror. Besides, she has enough to deal with already: the father of her children has passed away, she recently lost her job and she experiences great difficulty to create decent living conditions for herself, her son and her new-born baby. While Junior has no idea what the word ‘homosexual’ means, his mother is seriously concerned about his sexual orientation. Junior can only be himself when he is with his grandmother. In her own way, she sees the benefits of his behavior.