The Perfect Shadow
In July of 1991, an artist who's going incurably blind embarks on a desperate spiritual quest to the tip of Baja California, Mexico: it's his last chance to experience a total solar eclipse before ful…
The Perfect Shadow
In July of 1991, an artist who's going incurably blind embarks on a desperate spiritual quest to the tip of Baja California, Mexico: it's his last chance to experience a total solar eclipse before fully losing his eyesight. Rik (Tom Taglang) promises to phone his wife, but after days without hearing from him, Lauren (Liesl Guinto) recruits their estranged childhood friend, Cale (Gregory Burton), to go to Baja and ensure that Rik gets home safely. Driving through Baja, Cale searches for Rik. When Cale finds him on a beach on the Sea of Cortez, Rik refuses his assistance. That night, Cale encounters Julian (Douglas Coler), a passionate eclipse chaser. Cale reveals this is not his first eclipse chase. When he and Rik were younger they tried to see an eclipse, but failed. Julian assures Cale he'll make it to totality this time. The next morning, Rik ditches Cale, but Cale catches him on an open stretch of highway. The old friends confront their resentment over their failed eclipse chase when they were teenagers: Cale selfishly cared more about winning over Lauren than seeing the eclipse. Cale apologizes, Rik forgives him, and they continue the journey together. After arriving at the marina in Cabo San Lucas, Rik takes a panga to the last rock at Land's End, and Cale encounters a beautiful local woman, Elle (Catherine Lazo), who's being harassed by suitors at a local hotel bar. Cale creates a diversion, allowing Elle to slip away. Cale finds Elle on the beach and they share a moment together talking about tomorrow's eclipse. Cale asks her to watch it with him at Shipwreck Beach. Before she can answer, her chaperone, Joaquin (Robert Miano), leads her away. Cale loses the girl, again. Later that evening, Hector (Jesus Nebot) chastises Elle for her escapade. Hector wants her to marry him, but Elle knows he's been with another woman. An argument ensues and Hector slaps her. Elle threatens to leave, but it's an empty threat. In her room, Joaquin tries to comfort Elle, and assures her that "everything will be alright." The morning of the eclipse, Rik's dream of experiencing totality is merely hours away. Elle, meanwhile, goes to Hector and kisses him, forgiving him. Later in the morning, a group of eclipse chasers, including Rik, head for the hilltop above Shipwreck Beach, but Cale has other plans. He heads to town, asking where to find Elle. The moon's bite into the sun grows ever larger, and the onrushing shadow sweeps over the tip of Baja. Cale, still searching for Elle, looks up: totality, a magnificent jewel in the sky. Elle is in awe. And Rik... does he see it? With the corona reflecting in his eyes, Rik has a vision that Lauren is with him. Cale finds Elle and they share the waning minutes of totality together. Inside his office, Hector anguishes over a document he keeps in his desk drawer. Totality ends quickly. Within minutes, the sun burns hot again. Cale steps closer to Elle, but she rebuffs him. "I'm the one to help you. I just know it" he insists. "That moment has passed" she says. Joaquin is determined to help Elle. He demands Hector tell Elle the truth. Hector agrees; his secrets are eating away at him. Hector tells Elle that he's not her guardian; Hector's deceased father was. Hector asks Elle to marry him, again. Elle wants to know if there's anything else he's been keeping from her. Hector says "no," but it's another lie. Later that night, Elle finds Hector's secret document in her dresser drawer just as Joaquin intended. In the morning as they pack to leave, Cale offers Rik the red-tipped cane. Rik takes it, accepting his blindness. As they depart in Cale's classic bronco, Elle catches them on the sand. "Take me with you." Cale's hero moment has finally arrived and he embraces it. Cale spins the tires in the sand and the three of them head north. With Hector on their trail, Cale, Rik and Elle race for the border. In Ensenada, noting a long wait at Tijuana, they turn for Tecate, a lesser known border crossing. When they arrive, Hector has outwitted them. He's waiting for them. With Cale's support, Elle confronts Hector about his lies. The trust he manages is actually her family's money. Hector pleads with her, "come home." She considers it, but no. Elle let's Hector continue to manage her money, but she is leaving him. Cale prevents Hector from stopping her. At the Santa Fe train station in San Diego, Lauren and Rik reunite. Cale wants to go with Elle, but knows that's not what she needs. Elle leaves, a free woman. The film is dedicated to the cinematographer (Maximo Munzi) who passed away in 2014, ten years before the film was completed in 2024. A photographic tribute shows the filmmakers and Maximo shooting 35mm film on location in Baja in the mid-90s. In 1998, the actor playing Cale experiences totality firsthand in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Final photographs show the filmmakers above Shipwreck Beach on July 11, 1991.
The Perfect Shadow
Drama
Film Details
In July of 1991, an artist who's going incurably blind embarks on a desperate spiritual quest to the tip of Baja California, Mexico: it's his last chance to experience a total solar eclipse before fully losing his eyesight. Rik (Tom Taglang) promises to phone his wife, but after days without hearing from him, Lauren (Liesl Guinto) recruits their estranged childhood friend, Cale (Gregory Burton), to go to Baja and ensure that Rik gets home safely. Driving through Baja, Cale searches for Rik.
When Cale finds him on a beach on the Sea of Cortez, Rik refuses his assistance. That night, Cale encounters Julian (Douglas Coler), a passionate eclipse chaser. Cale reveals this is not his first eclipse chase.
When he and Rik were younger they tried to see an eclipse, but failed. Julian assures Cale he'll make it to totality this time. The next morning, Rik ditches Cale, but Cale catches him on an open stretch of highway.
The old friends confront their resentment over their failed eclipse chase when they were teenagers: Cale selfishly cared more about winning over Lauren than seeing the eclipse. Cale apologizes, Rik forgives him, and they continue the journey together. After arriving at the marina in Cabo San Lucas, Rik takes a panga to the last rock at Land's End, and Cale encounters a beautiful local woman, Elle (Catherine Lazo), who's being harassed by suitors at a local hotel bar.
Cale creates a diversion, allowing Elle to slip away. Cale finds Elle on the beach and they share a moment together talking about tomorrow's eclipse. Cale asks her to watch it with him at Shipwreck Beach.
Before she can answer, her chaperone, Joaquin (Robert Miano), leads her away. Cale loses the girl, again. Later that evening, Hector (Jesus Nebot) chastises Elle for her escapade.
Hector wants her to marry him, but Elle knows he's been with another woman. An argument ensues and Hector slaps her. Elle threatens to leave, but it's an empty threat.
In her room, Joaquin tries to comfort Elle, and assures her that "everything will be alright." The morning of the eclipse, Rik's dream of experiencing totality is merely hours away. Elle, meanwhile, goes to Hector and kisses him, forgiving him. Later in the morning, a group of eclipse chasers, including Rik, head for the hilltop above Shipwreck Beach, but Cale has other plans.
He heads to town, asking where to find Elle. The moon's bite into the sun grows ever larger, and the onrushing shadow sweeps over the tip of Baja. Cale, still searching for Elle, looks up: totality, a magnificent jewel in the sky.
Elle is in awe. And Rik... does he see it? With the corona reflecting in his eyes, Rik has a vision that Lauren is with him.
Cale finds Elle and they share the waning minutes of totality together. Inside his office, Hector anguishes over a document he keeps in his desk drawer. Totality ends quickly.
Within minutes, the sun burns hot again. Cale steps closer to Elle, but she rebuffs him. "I'm the one to help you.
I just know it" he insists. "That moment has passed" she says. Joaquin is determined to help Elle.
He demands Hector tell Elle the truth. Hector agrees; his secrets are eating away at him. Hector tells Elle that he's not her guardian; Hector's deceased father was.
Hector asks Elle to marry him, again. Elle wants to know if there's anything else he's been keeping from her. Hector says "no," but it's another lie.
Later that night, Elle finds Hector's secret document in her dresser drawer just as Joaquin intended. In the morning as they pack to leave, Cale offers Rik the red-tipped cane. Rik takes it, accepting his blindness.
As they depart in Cale's classic bronco, Elle catches them on the sand. "Take me with you." Cale's hero moment has finally arrived and he embraces it. Cale spins the tires in the sand and the three of them head north.
With Hector on their trail, Cale, Rik and Elle race for the border. In Ensenada, noting a long wait at Tijuana, they turn for Tecate, a lesser known border crossing. When they arrive, Hector has outwitted them.
He's waiting for them. With Cale's support, Elle confronts Hector about his lies. The trust he manages is actually her family's money.
Hector pleads with her, "come home." She considers it, but no. Elle let's Hector continue to manage her money, but she is leaving him. Cale prevents Hector from stopping her.
At the Santa Fe train station in San Diego, Lauren and Rik reunite. Cale wants to go with Elle, but knows that's not what she needs. Elle leaves, a free woman.
The film is dedicated to the cinematographer (Maximo Munzi) who passed away in 2014, ten years before the film was completed in 2024. A photographic tribute shows the filmmakers and Maximo shooting 35mm film on location in Baja in the mid-90s. In 1998, the actor playing Cale experiences totality firsthand in Maracaibo, Venezuela.
Final photographs show the filmmakers above Shipwreck Beach on July 11, 1991..