For Marisol Rivera, a first generation Mexican-American, college is everything she's worked toward. She spent mornings cleaning horse stalls and evenings studying. Now, with a scholarship in hand, she's ready to leave Southwest Texas and begin her new life. However, when Marisol is falsely accused of a crime, she learns a heartbreaking truth: she's undocumented. Forced to go on the run, Marisol discovers a kind America amidst a harsh bureaucratic system. A coming of age film through the lens of immigration, Marisol critically examines systemic oppression and the causality of racism.
Acting
Esmeralda Camargo's face does everything the script cannot say.
Cinematography
Texas never looked so beautiful and so hostile.
Writing
The false accusation lands like a gut punch you don't see coming.
Director
Kevin Abrams
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Kevin Abrams cast mostly first-generation actors; Esmeralda Camargo's own family immigration story informed her silent reactions in the ICE scene.
The film deliberately subverts the 'gritty border thriller' genre—Marisol never picks up a gun, because that's not how this war is fought.
US
