Opening in limited release (Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York) today from Focus Features is Sin Nombre, the debut feature film from award-winning director Cary Joji Fukunaga. I missed it earlier this year at Sundance, where he won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award, but I caught it last week at South by Southwest, and damn... it's amazing.
The film tells the tale of a Mexican teenage gang member running from his violent past (and his unforgiving former associates), who crosses paths with a migrant family making the difficult, dangerous journey across the Latin American countryside to the United States. Together, with trust and faith, they just might survive the journey towards the hope of new lives.
Stark, brutal, and exceptionally well-made, I actually found myself a little short of breath when the credits started rolling. It's a stunning work, and I highly recommend checking it out, now or when it eventually comes to your city. To learn more about the film, go here. Here's also a good interview with the director: Cary Fukunaga on the Making of Sin Nombre.