Latin American Institute Film Screenings
Brazilian Film Series Presents: YONLU

Directed by Brazilian director Hique Montanari
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
7:00 PMUCLA James Bridges Theater
1409 Melnitz Theater
235 Charles E Young Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90095


YONLU is a fiction film based on the real story of a 16 year-old boy who, aided by the internet, won over the world with his talent for music and art. Fluent in five languages, an illustrator, photographer, and writer of experimental music, YONLU had a critical view of society and shared it through a network of virtual friends from all continents. However, in the seclusion of his bedroom, YONLU signed up to a forum for potential suicides. On it, in 2006 he found the encouragement to take his own life, which left those around him shocked and dumbfounded.
The release of a posthumous album with 14 of his songs by a major New York label has drawn further attention to his immense talent. In addition to a fictional narrative, the film YONLU uses the languages of animation, musical, and video-clip to tell the story of an extremely creative boy along the pathways of the internet, which pathways seemed to be so bright and welcoming but which also concealed dark, dangerous corners.
88 minutes | In Portuguese with English subtitles
Cost: Free & Open to the Public
Special Instructions
Please get tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brazilian-film-series-yonlu-tickets-91355010295?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
Sponsor(s): Center for Brazilian Studies, Latin American Institute