High school is a battlefield, no one gets out unscathed. So why decide to enmesh yourself in that world for the sake of entertainment? Director Cecilia Aldarondo is no stranger to mining the past for new revelations. Her 2016 documentary “Memories of a Penitent Heart” focused on Aldarondo’s quest to learn more about her uncle Miguel, who struggled with identity and his sexuality within a strict Catholic upbringing. Now, the director turns the camera on herself for her HBO documentary, “You Were My First Boyfriend,” premiering Saturday at the SXSW Film Festival.
The documentary was a tough sell with its focus on Aldarondo’s own high school experiences and how, as a fortysomething adult, she still finds herself haunted by the emotional trauma she experienced during that time.