Private Project

Thicker Than Water

Joaquín, a young man whose perception of love is affected by a distant and broken upbringing, struggles to balance a connection between his best friend, Carol (a reckless photographer) and the unexpected arrival of a romance that questions his expectations of happiness.

  • Benjamin Cardona
    Director
    Onomatopeya, Ángeles en América: El milenio se acerca (Theater), Closer (Theater)
  • Benjamin Cardona
    Writer
    Onomatopeya, Una Caja Hermética, Conversations We Never Had
  • Benjamin Cardona
    Producer
  • Isabel Arraiza
    Key Cast
    "Carol "
    Driven, American Dreamer, Pearson
  • Benjamín Cardona
    Key Cast
    "Joaquín"
  • Francheska Mattei
    Key Cast
    "Sofía"
    Tierra de pasiones, La viuda de blanco
  • Jacqueline Duprey
    Key Cast
    "Sara"
    Descent, The Vessel, Desamores
  • Lydia Echevarría
    Key Cast
    "Clara "
    Doña Ana, The Caller, Dark Power
  • Julio Ramos
    Key Cast
    "José"
    Broche de oro: Comienzos, Kabo y Platón, El clown, The Vessel, The Rum Diary, Miente, Desamores
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Más que el agua
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama, Indie, LGBTQ+
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 30 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 1, 2018
  • Country of Origin:
    Puerto Rico
  • Country of Filming:
    Puerto Rico
  • Language:
    Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • PR Queer FIlm Fest
    San Juan
    Puerto Rico
    November 20, 2014
    Puerto Rican premiere - Screening of initial cut (now significantly edited).
    Boriqueer
  • International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    November 16, 2019
    North American Premiere
Distribution Information
  • BayView Entertainment
    Distributor
    Country: United States
Director Biography - Benjamin Cardona

Benjamín Cardona was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Since he was a child, he developed interest in various artistic disciplines such as drawing, singing, dancing, and acting. During his college years he studied Art History & Theater/Acting at the University of Puerto Rico where he had the opportunity to perform as Katurian from Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman and direct Patrick Marber’s Closer. He wrote his first short film Viajar Quieto (Traveling Still) in 2008; a story about a surgeon amidst a divorce & his epiphany upon meeting a young woman. In 2011 he wrote Una Caja Hermética (Airtight Box), a play about three individuals with dubious intentions who meet at a hotel for a night of uncertainty. It premiered as part of the Festival Puertorriqueño del Instituto de Cultura on April of 2012, produced by Tantai Teatro. After writing several other short films, he decided to write his first feature, Más que el Agua (Thicker than Water); a story that follows longtime best friends who find their companionship & upbringing jeopardizing their happiness. He also directed, acted & produced it. The first version of the film premiered at the Puerto Rico Queer Film Fest in November of 2014. He translated and directed Angels in America: Millennium Approaches at the Victoria Espinosa Theater in Santurce in August of 2017. He currently lives in New York where he’s developing his career as an actor in independent theater and continues post-production for his second feature, Onomatopeya (Onomatopoeia).

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Director Statement

Someone once told me: ‘Make them think they’re looking through a peephole’, as we deconstructed a play during staging. Back then I could only associate the concept of voyeurism to a sexual pathology learned in health class. Little did I know, it would grow into me, commanding a portrayal of the aspects of intimacy within my art channeling source: let it be writing, acting, or directing. A pen and sheet are always my starting point in terms of execution. As elemental as they are, they act as my blueprint; one that technology hasn’t been able to provide. My actor’s instinct helps me refine the word and assist the director within while planning the visual aspect of the story being approached.
Through time I’ve come to understand that truth by itself rarely moves a story due to its habitual nature, as ironic as that may sound. Therefore, my approach to dialogue is colloquial but not necessarily in content. My references of emotion come from within and are intertwined with an observational discernment of what surrounds me. Loneliness and the sense of loss plague my writing with characters affected by the bitter sweetness of uncertainty, poor decision-making, and plain misfortune.