Who is Dayani Cristal?
Spanish with English subtitles.
Director: Marc Silver Producers: Lucas Ochoa, Thomas Benski, Gael García Bernal Writer: Mark Monroe Cinematographers: Marc Silver, Pau Esteve Birba Editors: Martin Singer, James Smith-Rewse Music: Leonardo Heiblum, Jacobo Lieberman Cast: Gael García Bernal
Deep in the sun-blistered Sonora desert beneath a cicada tree, border police discover a decomposing male body. Lifting a tattered T-shirt, they expose a tattoo that reads “Dayani Cristal.” Who is this person? What brought him here? And who–or–what is Dayani Cristal? Following a team of dedicated staff from the Pima County Morgue in Arizona, director Marc Silver seeks to answer these questions and return an identity to this anonymous person. As the forensic investigation unfolds, Mexican actor Gael García Bernal retraces the man’s steps along the migrant trail from Honduras to the US-Mexico border. Unfolding like a thrilling crime drama, the film builds to an emotionally devastating climax.
I always carry a responsibility with me, to resist, to help, to spread the word, to inspire. We all do. And we can start by watching Who Is Dayani Cristal? E. Nina Rothe, The Huffington Post
Este cinta busca respuestas a las preguntas que surgen cuando en el desierto de Sonora, México, la policía fronteriza descubre un cadáver en descomposición con un tatuaje que reza "Dayani Cristal." ¿Quién es esta persona? ¿Qué le ha traído aquí? ¿Quién es Dayani Cristal? La magnífica cinta de Marc Silver entreteje las respuestas a esas preguntas con secuencias dramáticas de bellísima factura, donde el afamado actor Gael García Bernal, sigue las huellas del camino de los migrantes. La película se desarrolla como un thriller, para desembocar en un clímax emocionante y desolador.
“Nunca entenderé la magnitud de los peligros que enfrentó,” dice Gael García Bernal acerca del inmigrante que nunca fue identificado. “Sólo puedo volver a trazar sus pasos.”
Marc Silver (b. London, England) is a director, cinematographer and independent producer whose broad spectrum of films focuses on social and human rights issues. His films include the short A Life on Hold and the documentary Burning Man: Community or Chaos?. His first feature film, Who Is Dayani Cristal? premiered at Sundance, where it won the World Cinema Cinematography Award.
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