Premiere Date: August 1, 2006
Synopsis
The proud Mexican tradition of corrido music—captured in the performances of Mexican band Los Tigres del Norte and the late Chalino Sanchez—provides both heartbeat and backbone to this rich examination of songs, drugs and dreams along the U.S./Mexico border. Al Otro Lado follows Magdiel, an aspiring corrido composer from the drug capital of Mexico, as he faces two difficult choices to better his life: to traffic drugs or to cross the border illegally into the United States. An Official Selection of the Tribeca Film Festival.
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Filmmaker
The injustice of all the people dying on the border is somehow lessened if we Americans think of them as people who didn't have family, money or opportunity.”
— Natalia Almada, Filmmaker
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Film Update
July 27, 2006
Critical Acclaim
The documentary is handsomely filmed, whether in sun-drenched landscapes or crowded nightclubs. It’s not a history of corridos, which have roots that reach back to medieval songs; it’s a glimpse of art running parallel to daily life.”
&mdash Jon Pareles, The New York Times
An often affecting . . . look at a topic that has so dominated the news of late. Al Otro Lado looks at all sides of the immigration issue with a dispassionate eye. . . . Compelling stuff . . .””
&mdash Teresa Wiltz, Washington Post
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