Choking Man
Choking Man is an intense blend of psychological drama and magical realism that encapsulates the contemporary immigrant experience in America.
Jorge (Octavio Gomez Berrios) is a morbidly shy Ecuadorian dishwasher toiling away in a shabby Jamaica, Queens, New York diner run by Rick (Mandy Patinkin)
He works all day long in the shadow of the ever present Heimlich Manoeuvre instruction poster which hangs in the kitchen diner. From his solitary kitchen corner, Jorge gropes mutely for a bond with Amy (Eugenia Yuan), the newly hired Chinese waitress and even though she tries to reciprocate, the gulf that separates then is too large.
On the job he is continually tormented by his co-worker Jerry (Aaron Paul) and at home in his Harlem boarding, under the psychological control of his domineering roommate, he battles his inner demons.
Set in the vicinity of JFK airport, the most culturally diverse neighbourhood in the world, Choking Man captures the feeling of claustrophobia and almost literal asphyxiation newcomers to America experience as they struggle to find a place and purpose in this strange land.
Starring: Octavio Gomez, Eugenia Yuan, Aaron Paul
Choking Man is released 14th November