Synopsis

During his day job as a Spanish criminal interpreter in a small town in California, filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes (499) met a young man named Sansón, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who was sentenced to life in prison without parole. With no permission to interview him, Sansón and Reyes worked together over a decade, using hundreds of letters as inspiration for recreations of Sansón’s childhood—featuring members of Sansón’s own family. The result is a vibrant portrait of a friendship navigating immigration and the depths of the criminal justice system and pushing the boundaries of cinematic imagination to rescue a young migrant’s story from oblivion.

Trailer

Film Details

Director: Rodrigo Reyes
Studio: Cinema Guild
Running Time: 88 minutes
Country: USA
Release Year: 2022
Rated: Unrated

Reviews

“An ever-engaging, innovative and moving treatment of race, class, and the criminal-justice system.”
– Hammer to Nail

“A startling and somber documentary.”
-The Guardian