Unforgiven is a dark but moving award-winning film that exposes homosexuality, toxic masculinity, violence, love and religion, and how they intertwine in a Salvadoran prison. The story follows 25-year-old Geovanny, a hard-boiled, tattooed criminal who is part of a special “Assassination Squad” of which he is part.
He was a cold-blooded killer who casually said he would gut people and eat their hearts. Geovanny is currently in prison, punished for his crime while being gay.
He told his story, which was marked by abuse, tragedy and violence. At the age of 12, he joined the notorious 18th Street Gang and committed heinous crimes for the next decade. It was later revealed that when he was a very young child, he was brutally attacked and abused by an older man.
He admitted he was angry and wanted to fight and lash out. He then joins his “mara” or gang. Mara, which means “my people” in Central American slang, found comfort and some solace in groups.
In his cell at the Gotella prison in San Francisco, west of El Salvador, Giovanni is struggling to come to terms with who he is, especially his sexuality and, of course, his violent past. Gotera is a shady place; it’s hot, dirty, rundown and overcrowded. It’s also full of “mareros” or gang members, mostly from 18th Street Mara and their arch-nemesis Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13.
It was also an evangelical prison where priests tried to persuade prisoners to leave their gangs and convert to fundamentalist Christians. The church now runs prisons where it also preaches that homosexuality is as bad as murder, if not worse. There, he also meets Steven and falls in love with a rival member of his MS-13 gang.
They live in a remote prison wing reserved for gays. Mareros are not supposed to be gay; to be one is a death sentence. Here, the director gives us an insight into the lives of Geovanny, Steven and their cell mates. Family life scenes such as sewing prison uniforms, preparing meals, two people chatting intimately, and hanging out are also very warm.
They discuss what happened to them and what would happen if they were found out. “I’m in love with him, and if I’m a gang member, I wonder why?” Geovanny asks plaintively.
Clearly, there will be no happy endings here. Geovanny decided to come out to prison officials and his family because of mental health issues, as he asked to be transferred to a gay prison. Steven wasn’t ready to come out. Ultimately, they must choose between love, faith, and being true to themselves.
Directed by: Marlén Viñayo
