“An empowering testament to the need for self-expression.” —Hyperallergic

The coming-of-age drama Days of the Whale is set in the city of Medellín, Colombia. This feature debut from Colombian filmmaker Catalina Arroyave Restrepo follows the blooming relationship between Cristina and Simón, teenage street artists drawn together by love and their work as part of an artists’ collective.

When gang members tag the collective’s headquarters with a threatening message, the couple defies the warning by painting over it with a psychedelic mural of a whale. The image—an ode to Cristina’s journalist mother, who has fled the country after being targeted by gangs—is a colorful disruption to the city’s cycle of violence and turf wars.

• Days of the Whale WATCH HERE Your purchase supports the MFAH and provides a 48-hour pass to the film. Use the discount code MFAWHALE to receive $1.50 off the regular price of $11.99. SEE THE TRAILER

Underwriting for the Film Department is provided by Tenaris and the Vaughn Foundation. Generous funding is provided by The Consulate General of Israel Houston; Nina and Michael Zilkha; Franci Neely; Carrin Patman and Jim Derrick; Mr. and Mrs. H. Bruce Sallee; Lynn S. Wyatt; ILEX Foundation; Consolato Generale D’Italia Houston; L’Alliance Française de Houston; and The Foundation for Independent Media Arts.