FUEGO

The film begins with a look at the generation’s past, a snapshot of Giovanni’s father dancing with a woman back in the 1980s. This is an example of his “Fuego,” the purpose or passion in one’s life. The story that Gio tells about his Fuego is framed around his friends, Eddie and Joel in a bar on New Year’s Eve, leading up to midnight. Gio starts off with a trip to a nightclub with his brother Francisco and his long-time girlfriend, Nadine to a salsa dancing lesson. He sees the instructor, Camila, and the spark ignites inside of him before even being asked to join. Gio takes a liking to salsa dancing and maybe even Camila herself. The truth comes out that Francisco and Nadine were never students of Camila and Francisco was leading Gio with a lie that Camila was asking about Gio when he was too busy with work and couldn’t attend the lessons at the club that week. Gio feels betrayed and doesn’t want anything to do with Francisco, even if it means not backing up his brother when he’s about to take the biggest step of his life on New Year’s in front of the whole family. We return back to the present as Gio’s tale ends. Gio chooses to work on New Year’s, not spending the night with Francisco or Camila, but instead with Eddie and Joel to tell this story. Moments before midnight, Gio sneaks away to check his Instagram feed and sees that Francisco is newly engaged to Nadine, popping the question this evening. He deeply regrets not being with his brother and family tonight as he watches other happy couples and family celebrate the new year. The festivities end with Francisco making a last-minute appearance at Gio’s bar to celebrate his engagement. The two have a heart-to-heart conversation which really shows what Gio should have been focusing on all this time while searching for his Fuego, the importance of family. Not wanting to waste any more time, he also makes amends with Camila first thing in the new year, demonstrating that moment of happiness that he sought after for the majority of the past year.