Was fortunate enough to see this at the Film Independent Project Involve Short Film Festival at the LA Film Festival, and it is a compelling and amazing piece of work. The two young leads Isabella Luna and Martin Simone seem like old pros.
This is a disturbing piece for sure, compelling and dramatic. I highly recommend it!
It features a look at a problem that the immigration issue doesn't really touch upon, namely the exploitation of children from third world countries and them having to flee to America to escape the horrors of slavery and child trafficking. Once these kids escape from their captors they have virtually no where to go that will accept them. Even if they manage to make it to the Estados Unidos they face an unsympathetic system where the Social Workers don't have the time to be reasonable in the fact of overwhelming sadness.
Ana (Isabelle Luna) is 12 years old and caring for her mute brother Javier (Martin Simone) when they get picked up by border patrol. The menacing guard Munoz (Jamie Alvarez) shuffles them through the process at the immigration center where the harried Ms. Alfari (Kate Nicols) tries to figure out a way that the two siblings can stay in the U.S.. After Ana claims that her brother was sold by her Father Ms. Alfari says that they can stay in the country with some proof that the little boy was sold to slavery. Not wanting to show the "shame" of his proof, Javier is separated from Ana when they are told without proof they will be deported. The two must then cope with the prospect of going back to the abusive slaver and Father who will assuredly beat Ana for running away.
Harrowing doesn't come close to describing the experience. Please, take the time to check out this film, you won't be sorry.
