We also spent a significant amount of time at the legislature tracking bills that would directly affect colonia residents, and filming colonia activists who testified in front of lawmakers about the living conditions in their homes.

In the course of this intensive principal photography, we filmed a colonia near Brownsville called Sunny Skies that perhaps best illustrates how the county and colonia residents worked together to better their community. Sunny Skies housed 42 families who had no running water or sewer services. As in many cases, the developer skipped town without giving residents the proper title to the land.

Since the colonia was not platted and the residents did not have the proper legal papers, the water company and the county could not help the residents. It was the classic colonia nightmare. Residents recount tales of living day to day without water, sharing washing water, and pitching in to throw caliche on the road. Only one spigot, at the entrance to the colonia, serviced the families and many lived with the hope that maybe one day they would be able to connect their home to water.

It happened with the help of Cameron County, El Jardin, the Water Supply Company, Texas Rural Legal Aid and a newly formed Sunny Skies Corporation.