Rodrigo Reyes: 'They are Telling the Story of the Border, But Nobody Is Telling It Right' Jose Raul Guzman - NACLA.org
go to original October 26, 2014

Purgatorio trailer (filmindependent)

Mexican filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes’ latest documentary, Purgatorio: Journey into the Heart of the Border, eschews the traditional border narrative in favor of an acutely personal and philosophical reflection that explores the beauty and harsh brutality of the U.S.-Mexico border in an attempt to rethink the paradigm. It begins with Reyes asking the audience to “Try to imagine what the world was like many, many years ago, when borders didn’t exists.”

Filmed over the course of four weeks, with a micro-crew of three that included Reyes, cinematographer Justin Chin, and sound mixer Jose Inerzia, the film essay captures powerful portraits of residents on both sides of the border. The striking cinematography of the lush desert landscapes forms the backdrop to vignettes that survey migration, violence, inequality, and the artificial construction of borders.

Born in Mexico City, Reyes grew up living and traveling between both countries and credits his upbringing as part of the inspiration for Purgatorio. In an interview on October 3, he told me that the project originated from “being a migrant, of saying: they are telling the story of the border, but nobody is telling it right. It’s not a place about which you can say ‘this is how it is.’ It’s a place that needs to be discovered. The border changes all the time.” Reyes was able to locate the subjects for the documentary with help from local activists and residents.

Read the rest at NACLA.org

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