The Guardian of Memory (2019) [N/A]
Release Date:
April 28, 2019
Original Title:
El guardián de la memoria
Genres:
Documentary
Production Companies:
Al fondo del callejón
Chicken & Egg Pictures
EFICINE 189
Estudios Churubusco Azteca
Estímulo Gabriel García Márquez
Gefilte Films
Production Countries:
Mexico
Ratings / Certifications:
N/A
Runtime: 93
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Mexico became one of the deadliest conflict zones in the world in 2017, second only to Syria. In 2008, the Mexican government sent the army to Chihuahua on the Mexico-Texas border to fight drug traffickers. What seemed like an attempt to control the cartels turned into state-sponsored disappearances and the murder of journalists, human rights activists and civilians. The survivors and those threatened by the conflict pushed at the unwelcoming border of the United States, hoping for asylum. With stunning visual poetry, director Marcela Arteaga weaves together a record of their memories told over the backdrop of the once-vibrant landscape of the Juarez Valley. She also highlights the extraordinary work of Carlos Spector, an immigration lawyer born in El Paso, Texas, who fights to obtain political asylum for those Mexicans fleeing violence.