My Benjamin

A barefoot dancer wearing a black T-shirt and black shorts balances on one leg with the other extended straight out to the side, one hand resting behind his head, in a long, white, minimalist concrete hall with natural light streaming in from slender windows. In the foreground, a white dog sleeps on the floor, while another dog stands farther back in the center of the hall facing away from the camera.

A visual essay about endings, the loving acceptance of deterioration, and the need to be seen during these processes.

Victoria Clay Mendoza follows Benjamin Pech during his final year as a principal dancer at the Paris Opera before his retirement. Along the way, they develop a friendship in which they see themselves reflected in each other: she faces an imminent return to Mexico to take care of her mother, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, while he struggles with a severe hip injury that weakens him and prevents him from continuing to dance.

Program Info

Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 7:00PM
Venue: Delancey Street Theater

SFDFF 2026 Feature Film

Director: Victoria Clay Mendoza
(Mexico, 2025) 75 minutes