Debut: ‘When Big People Lie’ And Its Effects On Children

The moment you are born, you are vulnerable and impressionable. Your parents are there to guide your transition into life because you're new to the world, but something that’s rarely realized is that they are too. In the case of parents, there is no rulebook they get at 30 years old that tells them the right way to raise a kid or lead a life, especially when you add the impact of socioeconomic issues. Most of the time, it is everyone’s first time doing anything, so when it comes to parents lying, can you truly blame your parents for doing so? 

When Big People Lie by Gianfranco Fernández-Ruiz is—what I believe to be—a visual examination of what it looks like in a child's mind when parents lie and how those lies affect them. 

Elvis, played by Kaden Quinn, is a kid living through financial hardship with his mother, Lola, played by Sasha Merci. The film opens with Elvis’s 8th birthday party; he is blowing out his candles and is ready to tell his mother what he wishes for, only to be told wishes don't come true if they are said out loud. In this scene, the film relies on mid-range to long shots to show how crowded and tiny their apartment is. The audience is then introduced to Elvis’ dad through Elvis' faded memory of him. It is clear that he longs for his father figure, and even though he is trying to remember him, he cannot trust his own memories because he is unsure whether or not they were lies told to him by his mother. 

Elvis is constantly in earshot of his mother, creating lies to make both of their lives easier, but in Elvis’s eyes, nothing has changed. Lola agrees to marry a man for money in exchange for immigration papers. He explains to the audience that his eyes are like camera lenses, taking pictures of everything, holding them in like memories for a very long time. He may not understand everything, but he remembers and takes stock in what he sees. This film does a masterful job of showing the audience the delicate balance of truth and lies. The cinematography presents itself as fragments of Elvis’ memory. It is evident that the director and the cinematography had a clear understanding of what it feels like to comb through your own memory and how to translate those feelings into visuals. 

At the end of the film, Elvis learns how to lie. He lies to help his mom during a visit from an immigration agent. I think it is important to note that after this, Elvis understands the drowning feeling his mother felt from lying, but also understands that sometimes lying can bring gifts. Which, in his case, is true, but getting that impression from lying at such an early age cannot be good for a child's development. I think this film tries to tackle such a complex aspect of childhood development, and unfortunately, to truly unearth the nuances lying underneath the text and visuals, this film needs to be a bit longer. 

This semi-autobiographical film by Gianfranco Fernández-Ruiz opens the door to what it looks like to raise a child on complicated socioeconomic foundations, examining this through the lens of lying. It is hard to watch this film without wanting more or feeling like you are still missing something about the story. There are no plot holes, but there just isn't enough time. It is an amazing film that will definitely leave the audience wanting more from this director.