Lessons for Zafirah

Created as a cinematographic diary for Zafirah, the directors’ three-year-old daughter, this documentary is a poignant testimony about the era of human migration in which we live. It records the faces and stories of the people who congregate around the train, which represents the symbolic vehicle of escape for the thousands who travel through Mexico to the United States each year. And, it captures the participation of people who voluntarily provide assistance to the migrants. With a critical and joyful touch, the directors paint a bleak, but also a universal, portrait of human greatness.

We believe that cinema stimulates change not only through “denunciation” but also through confrontation and by fomenting emotions that illuminate new and constructive thoughts. Carolina Rivas & Daoud Sarhandi

Creado como un diario cinematográfico para su hija de tres años, llamada Zafirah, el documental retrata hechos, rostros y gestos humanos que se dan cita en torno al tren La Bestia –que representa el vehículo simbólico de escape para miles de migrantes que viajan hacia Estados Unidos. A través de testimonios, captura la participación de personas en México que voluntariamente ofrecen ayuda a los migrantes. Con un aliento crítico y gozoso, los directores muestran un retrato desolador, pero también maravilloso de la grandeza humana.