For a lot of people, it’s been a frustrating couple of weeks. With the result of the US election, there’s plenty of concern for how the next four years under Trump will unfold for every demographic outside that of the rich white man. Along with this concern, there are a lot of calls for people to set aside their petty differences, overlook the divide between Republican and Democrat, left and right, and embrace their fellow man (see: the cast of Hamilton’s address to Mike Pence).

M.A.M.O.N. doesn’t really bother following this rhetoric; the acronym of the title alone translates to ‘douchebag’. It’s pure cathartic outrage unleashed in a madcap three minutes of bizarre dystopian sci-fi, set during a comical take on the future America. Mexican residents of the US are quite literally flung to the other side of Trump’s wall, which in this world, has been built – complete with automated assistant and bill dispenser – landing in the desert in a flurry of confusion. The residents refuse to pay for the destruction of their livelihoods, summoning the forces of mariachi bands, luchadores, Miss Universe, Desperado and ‘La Cucaracha’ in a hilarious battle against a giant, evil-looking, crotch-rocket-launching Mecha-Trump (and yes, the Wolfenstein comparisons to Mecha-Hitler aren’t lost on me). It’s an appropriately cartoonish takedown of a cartoonish man, and a short film that can be enjoyed by anyone appalled or darkly amused by how insane this election season has been.

Does it take things too far? Probably. But it doesn’t matter; the film is ridiculous, and deeply satisfying in its single-minded fictional revenge. All the film really needed to remind us was that it’s possible to fight back, and win.

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INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Alejandro Damiani

WRITERS: Enrique Codesido, Javier Cruzado, Alejandro Damiani, Juan Andrés Fontán, Santiago Vecino

EDITOR: Mathías Chumino

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Diego Rosenblatt

SYNOPSIS: A satirical fantasy sci-fi short film that explores with black humour and lots of VFX the outrageous consequences of Donald Trump’s plan of banning immigration and building an enormous wall on the Mexico-US border.