Elige uno para ver y comparar con El Norte:
Which Way Home (2009) – A 90 minute documentary follows unaccompanied immigrant children who daringly ride Mexican freight trains to get to the United States. Director Rebecca Cammisa brings the lives of children out of the shadows as they live through dangerous journeys, mean police and treacherous circumstances. The courage and resilience of the youth is remarkable in the face of so many harrowing moments and difficulties.
Emilio (2009) – When the younger sister of Emilio is kidnapped, this 19 year-old leaves his Mexican village to bring her back from Los Angeles. As Emilio frantically searches the neighborhoods and streets of L.A., he encounters gangs, drug dealers, day laborers and actors. Director Kim Jorgenson tells both a dramatic tale of a brother’s love for his sister and a coming of age story.
La Misma Luna – Under the Same Moon (2008) An immigrant family story written by Ligiah Villalobos and directed by Patricia Riggen. Carlos is 9 and lives in Mexico with his grandmother; his mother lives in Los Angeles, cleaning homes. Carlos makes his way across the border to reunite with his mother. A tender tearjerker which is full of many wonderful performances, including Eugenio Derbez (one of Mexico’s best-known actors), Los Tigres del Norte, America Ferrera.
Sangre de mi Sangre (2008) Entitled Padro Nuestro when it won great acclaim at Sundance in 2007, this film is a story of an unaccompanied immigrant youth. Written and directed by Christopher Zalla, the story is about Juan and Pedro’s intertwined journeys. They meet on a truck carrying immigrants from Mexico to New York. Pedro, in search of a father he has never known, shows Juan a letter of introduction that his deceased mother had written. Once in New York, Pedro wakes to discover that Juan has vanished with his it’s about identity, and the search for family love, especially of a boy’s desire to know and be loved by his father.
Forging a Nation (2007) Director David Blaustein retraced the steps of his Jewish ancestors accompanied by his mother and a host of extended family. Having fled Europe in the 1920s, hoping for a bright future in Argentina, the journey of the film becomes an exploration of the many people and the many factors that joined to build Argentina.
Beyond Belief (2007) this documentary premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival is the story of two amazing women who lost their husbands in 9/11. Greif is turned to action as they are compelled to travel to Kabul to help women the who are widowed there.
The Price of Sugar (2007) The 90 minute documentary narrated by Paul Newman tells the story of Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic and a Catholic priest who defends their human rights. On an island with tourist beaches Director Bill Haney shows how horribly Haitians are treated and the courageous Fr. Christopher Hartley, a Spanish priest.
Mississippi Chicken (2007) Director John Fiege Questions of race and workers’ rights form the crux of this documentary about Latin American immigrants in rural Mississippi. There are jobs at poultry plants, but little else.
Never Forever (2007) this film from the Sundance film festival is about a biracial American couple. When the woman is unable to conceive, she boldly begins a relationship with an illegal immigrant from Korea. This film has been praised for its art direction and costume design. Writer / director Gina Kim has also received accolades for her abilities.
Posada (2007), Directed by Mark McGregor. This documentary tells the story of three unaccompanied immigrant minors who travel to the U.S. and of a fourth youth, deported to Mexico after growing up in the U.S. The three boys are arrested by U.S. authorities and go through legal proceedings to stay in the U.S. Posada relates their journey to the Mexican Christmas procession called Las Posadas. In 2005 over 110,000 unaccompanied immigrants children were picked up by the U.S. Border, and nearly 8,000 held in the U.S.
Babel (2006) Alejandro González Iñárritu, director. Nominated for Best Picture and 6 other categories by the Academy Awards, including Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi, both for Best Supporting Actress. Babel has four storylines about people, united in their own grief and hope, which literally and figuratively cross borders on different continents. The stellar cast includes Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Gael Garcia Bernal – all who turn in great performances.
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) Tommy Lee Jones (Men in Black 1997) stars in and directs this unusual movie about promises, both kept and broken, and redemption. The truest expression of love in the film is between Texas cowboy, Pete (Jones), and his best friend, Melquiades (Julio Cesar Cedillo), who has illegally crossed the border for work.
La Tragedia de Macario (2005) Writer, director, editor Pablo Véliz brought this immigrant story to Sundance 2006 for its world premiere. In the title role, Rogelio Ramos is drawn to the U.S. to find a better life for his wife in this Spanish language film. Joined by his best friend, the two set out on the dangerous journey undertaken by so many each year. Véliz’s insight is the desperation that drives them and the spirituality that sustains them as they risk their lives.
Choking Man (2006) Director, Steve Barron. In the Queens neighborhood not far from the flight paths of JFK, this feature film is about a shy dish washer from Ecuador. The blend of magical realism and drama unfolds at the Olympic Diner.
The Invisible Mexicans of Deer Canyon (2006) Director, Juan Carlos Frey spent a year documenting Mexican migrants living in clandestine shacks in the midst of one of the most expensive real estate in America.
Fast Food Nation (2006) Writer/Director Richard Linklater (A Scanner Darkly 2006) brings this dramatization of the non-fiction book by Eric Schlosser to the big screen. A raw look at the impact the fast-food industry has on American life and culture – which cannot be portrayed without including undocumented workers.
El Inmigrante (2005) Directors David and John Eckenrode & John Sheedy’s documentary explores the death of Eusebio Haro, a Mexican immigrant who was shot and killed in rural Texas in 2000.
DeNADIE (2005) this film comes from Mexico and follows the path traced by many leaving South and Central America bound for freedoms and opportunities too basic to be rightfully exclusive. A filmmaking neophyte, Tin Dirdamal approaches the medium with the sensitivity and skill of a veteran, drawing us into the oft-told story of immigrant hardships, presenting it in a way that makes it more real and personal than we possibly could have understood before.
Crossing Arizona (2005) a documentary presented at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, this film explores escalating tensions over illegal immigration at their epicenter – the Arizona / Sonora border. Human rights, national security, class, and culture are explored through the personal experiences of the locals on both sides of the border in this balanced look at the issues. Directed by Joseph Mathew.
Sueño (2005) this was the directorial debut of Renee Chabria, who also wrote the screenplay. A young man (John Leguizamo) with musical aspirations leaves Mexico to realize his dreams of success in America. There he meets Mirabella (Elizabeth Peña) and Nina (Ana Claudia Talancón), and finds himself in a love triangle.
Romántico (2005) this is a tale of two Mariachi musicians who come to San Francisco, trying to make a better life for themselves and scrape out a living. Eventually, Carmelo Sanchez has to return to Mexico to care for his ailing mother. Directed by Mark Becker.
Quinceañera (2005) Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer wrote and directed this look into the life of an unconventional family and their Los Angeles neighborhood, threatened by urban development, generally passed with windows up and doors locked
Innocent (2005) Directed by Simon Chung. Eric, a 17 year old, immigrates with his parents from Hong Kong to Canada, only he does not know the family vacation is really a move to North America. The story is a coming-of-age film as Eric discovers his own gay sexual orientation and deals with the rejections associated with his sexual and immigrant identities.
Mojados: Through the Night (2004) Documentarian Tommy Davis meets and follows four Mexicans who leave their homeland in search of work in the US. A spark of the personal journeys of the migrants is captured.
Endless Exodus (2004) Gerry Straub has created a documentary film that is a meditation on migration. It focuses on migrants from Mexico and Central America who cross the border and enter California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas without any documentation. The film hopes to shed light on the life of the poor in order to help you better understand why they are forced to leave their homes and countries for a back-breaking, low-paying job in a foreign land whose culture is dramatically different from theirs.
Saving Face (2004) Written and directed by Alice Wu, this is the story of a lesbian, Chinese-American doctor in Manhattan and her pregnant, unmarried mother. It is a film that faces taboos and the clash between first and 2nd generation immigrants with a loving look at this mother-daughter relationship. (Michelle Krusiec, Joan Chen, and Lynn Chen)
Spanglish (2004) Mexican mother, Flor (Paz Vega), enters the U.S. with her young daughter seeking a better life. When she accepts a position as a domestic with an American family it becomes very difficult to maintain her privacy and distance. A story about assimilation, this film provides lessons on tolerance for the misguided but good intentions of immigrants as well as the Americans who employ and/or befriend them.
Maria Full of Grace (Maria Ilena eres de Gracia) (2004) this film is billed as not being based on a true story, yet it is something that happens everyday. Maria Alvarez (Catalina Sandino Moreno) lives a modest life in a rural area outside Bogotá, Colombia. At 17, her work and her life seem futureless, but Maria’s nature is strong and assertive. She meets Franklin (Jhon Alex Toro) at a party. He is stylish and charismatic and tempts Maria with talk of work involving adventure and travel to America. So Maria becomes a mule in the dangerous drug underworld. Joshua Marston (Bus to Queens 1999) directed this film.
A Day Without a Mexican (2004) One third of the population of California is Latinos, Hispanics, and Mexicans. How would it change life for the state’s other residents if this portion of the populous was suddenly not there? Director Sergio Arau calls his film a “mockumentary.” Yareli Arizmendi, married to Arau, co-wrote and stars in the film. She says it is their hope that lawmakers and moviegoers will recognize the valuable contributions made everyday by Latinos.
The Gatekeeper (2004) Mexican American John Carlos Frey wrote, directed, and starred in this film about a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent who turns vigilante and goes undercover to pursue those he sees as “undesirables” crossing the U.S. border from Mexico. Things go very wrong when he is caught in the midst of a Central American drug ring, surrounded by those he has hated. But Frey’s character begins to see the people as individuals with families and the desire for a sense of ‘home.’ The most valuable lesson is, perhaps, that humanity knows no borders.
Green Card Fever (2003) From new director Bala Rajasekharuni, this is the story of a young immigrant, played by Vikram Dasu, from India who overstays his U.S. visa. Forced to decide who he can trust, he becomes emboldened when he learns that in America, if you want something, you sue somebody for it!
Flavors (2003) Written and Directed by software professionals Krishna D.K. and Raj Nidimoru, who have a talent for dialog, Flavors is not a big budget film by the standards of Hollywood or Bollywood. It was noticed by Variety, however, and that is saying something! The two also made Shaadi.com in 2001, in which each makes an appearance in front of the camera.
Pieces of April (2003) While not central to the plot, the immigrant neighbors of April (Katie Holmes) help to save the day when her stove breaks on Thanksgiving. She tells them the story of the first Thanksgiving and the spirit of the day prevails in this off-beat independent film with Patricia Clarkson and Oliver Pratt, directed by Peter Hedges (About a Boy 2003 and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape 1992).
Lana’s Rain (2003) Directed by Michael Ojeda, Ukrainian born actress Oksana Orlenko makes her American film debut in the title role which won her a Best Actress award in the Milan International Film Festival. Clinging to the only family she has left, Lana accompanies her brother, Darko (Nickolai Stoilov) to the U.S., leaving Croatia following the Balkan Wars. Darko has survived through criminal activity in Eastern Europe and this is all he knows. But Lana wants simple things and a new life in America.
The Guru (2002) Ramu (Jimi Mistry) is a dance instructor in the U.K. who decides he is going to America to pursue the American dream. A fan of American movies since childhood, Ramu’s goal is to become a film star. Through his own naiveté and a series of coincidences, he fills in for an old guru at a party attended by the rich and famous and becomes famous as a sex guru. Directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer with Marisa Tomei and Heather Graham .
Real Women Have Curves (2002) Ana has graduated from her East Los Angeles high school and won a full scholarship to Columbia University. Rather than support her own dreams, however, Ana’s Mexican American parents believe it is time for her to work and help to support the family. Spending the summer working in a sewing factory with other Chicanas, Ana learns a respect for these women and what is essential for her to make her own way in the world.
La Ciudad (The City) (1999) This award-winning documentary by writer / filmmaker David Riker played to sold-out crowds in the New York art houses when it opened. It is a series of four shorts Riker began making in 1992 about Mexican workers who come to Manhattan – filled with the American dream but also afraid of the City. Filmed in black and white, the photography has been compared to socially conscious artists such as Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans.
The Journey (1997) Acclaimed painter-turned-writer / director, Harish Saluja tells the story of an Indian gentleman who comes to visit his son’s (Antony Zaki) family in Pittsburg for, what becomes, an extended stay. Played by Roshan Seth (Monsoon Wedding 2000), the elderly visitor has difficulty understanding his American daughter-in-law (Carrie Preston). But he tries to fit into their lives, helping out when he can or simply stepping aside when that seems the better thing to do. This is a movie about cultural clashes and coming to feel comfortable in two very different worlds.
Mi Familia/My Family (New Line Cinema, 1995)
Directed by Gregory Nava; Produced by Francis Ford Coppola, Anna Thomas; Screenplay by Gregory Nava, Anna Thomas Synopsis: The film follows several decades in the lives of a Mexican-American couple as they go through life together, often facing poverty, prejudice, police brutality and family trials. As their children grow to adulthood, each takes a different path in life, and each reflects the changing atmosphere, opportunities and continued restrictions in Los Angeles’ Hispanic community from the 1940s through the 1990s.
…and the earth did not swallow him (American Playhouse, 1994)
Directed by Severo Perez; Directed by Paul Espinosa
Video Synopsis: Based on a semi-autobiographical novella by Tomas Rivera, this film produced for the PBS series American Playhouse dramatizes the relationship of a 12-year-old boy, the son of migrant Mexican-American workers, who travel throughout the Midwest seeking work. Despite the harshness of their life, the family’s strong bonds keep them together.
Uneasy Neighbors (1990) Directed by Paul Espinosa. This 1990s award-winning documentary profiles the relations between migrant worker camps and homeowners in north San Diego county, one of the richest and fastest-growing areas in the U.S. Here, sharing the same valleys, are homeowners concerned about property values and sanitation, and migrant workers living in conditions that most Americans expect only in the Third World. This documentary chronicles the life and death of the Green Valley camp, home to thousands of migrant workers.
The Milagro Beanfield War (1988) directed by Robert Redford. Redford uses a bit of magical realism in his comedic tale of a conflict over water uses by migrants, farmers and developers. A Chicano handyman sets off a clash of cultures.
Stand and Deliver (1988) This is the inspiring true story about an immigrant teacher working in his Hispanic community in L.A. To the credit of Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos) and his creative teaching, students in one of the country’s toughest neighborhoods turn from gang life to become top algebra and calculus students. Escalante believed in them when no one else cared. Olmos (Selena 1997) was nominated for an Academy Award for his role, as was Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba) for a supporting role as one of the students. Directed by Ramon Menendez.
La Bamba (1987) Directed by Luis Valdez
Synopsis: In the 1950s, Mexican-American Ritchie Valenzuela rises from poverty in central California to become “Ritchie Valens,” one of the most popular singers of the rock and roll era. He strives to give his mother and younger siblings a good home, while his jealous older brother takes a different path; despite his fame, Ritchie’s heritage installs prejudice in the parents of his Anglo girl friend Donna, made famous in his hit record.
Cine y Narrativa en E/LE 