Brother and sister Enrique and Rosa flee persecution at home in Guatemala and journey north, through Mexico and on to the United States, with the dream of starting a new life.
Direction
Nava's unflinching gaze refuses to look away from suffering.
Acting
Gutiérrez and Villalpando carry impossible weight with raw grace.
Cinematography
The rat tunnel sequence — claustrophobic nightmare fuel.
Director
Gregory Nava
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
One of the first Hollywood films to center Guatemalan Mayan characters and depict the US-Mexico border crisis with unflinching realism.
The real 'El Norte' was a nickname for the US among Central American migrants; Nava interviewed actual refugees to build the script.
US
GB
