Problemista

A24 production Problemista was written and directed by and stars Julio Torres, a Salvadoran-American multi-hyphenate known for his work on surreal, biting, funny-but-true comedies. This debut feature, which stars Tilda Swinton, RZA, Greta Lee, and Isabella Rossellini, is a masterpiece of Gen M-Z humour, capturing the anxieties and dreams of a new generation.

The story follows Alejandro (Torres), an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, who is on the brink of losing his visa in New York City. Desperate to stay and chase his dreams, Alejandro takes a job as the assistant to Elizabeth (Swinton), a demanding and eccentric art-world veteran who is struggling to stage her comeback. The film explores Alejandro’s journey through a series of bizarre tasks and surreal encounters involving eggs, wormholes, romance, robots and cryogenics, which occasionally reflect the absurdities of immigrant life, or the life of young creatives trying to break into the industry.

As the world around him gets stranger and stranger, Alejandro finds himself on unfamiliar ground, facing an uncertain future – looking for a sign. But as Elizabeth says: “You won't get anything in life if you're hoping for answers from an entity.” Problemista is a sharp, refreshing exploration of ambition, identity, and survival in an unforgiving world.

Pre-film

Before Problemista, you’ll see the French short film Fabrication du jouet de Paris, filmed in a toy factory in 1911. Tilda Swinton hand-picked a short film, either from her rich oeuvre or from Eye’s collection, to precede all feature films.