Hot Docs 2026: Jaripeo Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Hot Docs Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

The cowboy and farming communities are traditionally heterosexual and macho. Those who represent these communities are usually portrayed as strong individuals who can perform under pressure, handle the physicality of their duties, especially in an environment where strangers are not welcome. When it comes to Latin America, homophobia is particularly frowned upon among a large contingent of that society. With much of these societies based in the teachings of the Catholic church, homosexual relationships are seen as a sin, as something that should not happen. Yet, the deeper one dives into the inner workings of a Latin country, the more traditional they appear. Directors Rebecca Zweig and Efraín Mojica document the existence of queer cowboys in their documentary, Jaripeo. Here, the duo expands on their participation in a culture with a reputation for its homophobia and prejudice against LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Opening with a cowboy driving a car and parking on a cliff, audiences are treated to a beautiful view and a passage in the background, while Efraín, the driver, talks to Rebecca in the backseat and films the interaction. She asks him the meaning of that, and he starts to unfold the hidden sentiments of decades. There are years of rejection of his nature to please the forced normality of that society. From this, the duo introduces the reasoning behind the project, a personal documentation of growing up in the Jaripeos, which are commonly known as Mexican rodeos. Likewise, the imagery captured in the film is similar to dozens, maybe hundreds, of other projects about the rodeo community. It documents the moody fenced circle with the cowboys and animals preparing to battle. The local crows gather to enjoy the brutality of that event, while man and animals clash for their survival. Underneath the obvious battle for survival, Efraín represents the individuals fighting for the lives in that community.

In this sense, the most fascinating aspect of Jaripeo is the unveiling of the life of cowboys who got tired of pretending. They decided to live their truth, as cowboys who wears the boots, hat, and shirt, but their nails are glittery, and their makeup is shiny. Even if people hurl slurs at them, that is their truth. In this sense, the film is a letter to those who finally combine their worlds, the inner fight of clashing with their family, even if they accept them, but decide not to mention their community ever again. It is about a generation of Mexican ranchers who fight the prejudice and the slurs. Nevertheless, the personal structure does not delve enough into Efraín. Arguably, the most beautiful confession by the subject and director is the fact that the only person he loved was a woman, his first girlfriend, even knowing deep inside that he was gay. There is a rawness and sensibility in unveiling that. Unfortunately, apart from this talk and the car sequence, where he talks freely with Rebecca and drinks, the film is utterly distant from becoming a personal statement of his reality.

Yet, the cinematography by Josue Eber Morales, Gerardo Guerra V., and Efraín Mojica expresses more meaning on this duality than most of the organizational structure of the documentary. The well-lit and framed imagery of the queer cowboys riding transmit the intentions of this battle, the insistence of the minority groups to participate in the culture they love deeply. Still, Jaripeo is shallow enough to diminish this impact, leaving audiences with occasional glimpses of impressive beauty and a slight reflection of their personal dilemmas.

still courtesy of Hot Docs

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Pedro Lima

Brazilian film writer. He is also a producer and executive producer for Zariah Filmes. Member of the International Film Society Critics Association (IFSCA), International Documentary Association (IDA), and Gotham and Media Film Institute.