From the first 10 minutes, it’s gleefully apparent that the film will not fit into any box, no matter how twisted or mangled its frame might become as viewers try to compress its multitude of oddities into a tidy package. That might also be the best way to describe Problemista. Swinton took the mic and said with supreme confidence: “Pure color, no shape.”

The two actors were asked what shape they felt like after the premiere (a nod to Torres’ HBO comedy special, My Favorite Shapes). Leave it to Tilda Swinton-who stars alongside Torres in the film-to be the sage. But one response from the cast seemed to define Torres’ indescribable ride with divine wisdom. Those thoughts proved difficult to articulate for the nervous audience members at the microphone during the post-screening Q&A. But not because they were anxious to exit the theater-far from it, in fact.Īudience members were champing at the bit to ask Torres and the impeccable cast questions about the film they just saw, which was, to say the least, quite unlike any other. When the lights went up at SXSW’s world premiere screening of Julio Torres’ directorial debut, Problemista, viewers were already fluttering out of their seats before the post-credits applause ended.

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