Official Movie Website Theatrical Release 04/17/09 (St. Louis) Home Video Not Available MPAA Rating Rated R for violence, language and some sexual content Running Time 1 hours 36 minutes Genre Suspense, Drama Director Cary Joji Fukunaga Writer Cary Joji Fukunaga Cast Paulina Gaitan, Edgar Flores, Kristyan Ferrer, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Diana Garcia, Luis Fernando Pena, Hector Jimenez Studio Focus Features |
SIN NOMBRE (2009)
SYNOPSIS
Sin Nombre, world-premiering at the 2009 Sundance
Film Festival, is an epic dramatic thriller written and
directed by Student Academy Award winner Cary Joji
Fukunaga in his feature debut. The filmmaker's
firsthand experiences with Central American
immigrants seeking the promise of the U.S. form the
basis of the Spanish-language movie.
Sin Nombre tells the story of Sayra (Paulina Gaitan), a
teenager living in Honduras, and hungering for a
brighter future. A reunion with her long-estranged
father gives Sayra her only real option -- emigrating
with her father and her uncle into Mexico and then the
United States, where her father now has a new family.
Meanwhile, Casper, a.k.a. Willy (Edgar Flores), is a
teenager living in Tapachula, Mexico, and facing an
uncertain future. A member of the Mara Salvatrucha
gang brotherhood, he has just brought to the Mara a
new recruit, 12-year-old Smiley (Kristyan Ferrer), who
undergoes a rough initiation.
While Smiley quickly takes to gang life, Casper tries to
protect his relationship with girlfriend Martha Marlene
(Diana Garcia), keeping their love a secret from the
Mara. But when Martha encounters Tapachula's Mara
Sin Nombre, world-premiering at the 2009 Sundance
Film Festival, is an epic dramatic thriller written and
directed by Student Academy Award winner Cary Joji
Fukunaga in his feature debut. The filmmaker's
firsthand experiences with Central American
immigrants seeking the promise of the U.S. form the
basis of the Spanish-language movie.
Sin Nombre tells the story of Sayra (Paulina Gaitan), a
teenager living in Honduras, and hungering for a
brighter future. A reunion with her long-estranged
father gives Sayra her only real option -- emigrating
with her father and her uncle into Mexico and then the
United States, where her father now has a new family.
Meanwhile, Casper, a.k.a. Willy (Edgar Flores), is a
teenager living in Tapachula, Mexico, and facing an
uncertain future. A member of the Mara Salvatrucha
gang brotherhood, he has just brought to the Mara a
new recruit, 12-year-old Smiley (Kristyan Ferrer), who
undergoes a rough initiation.
While Smiley quickly takes to gang life, Casper tries to
protect his relationship with girlfriend Martha Marlene
(Diana Garcia), keeping their love a secret from the
Mara. But when Martha encounters Tapachula's Mara
© 2003 St. Louis Movie Review Weekly. All rights reserved, except where indicated.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
| ST. LOUIS MOVIE REVIEW WEEKLY |
leader Lil' Mago (Tenoch Huerta Mejia), she is brutally taken from Casper forever.
Sayra and her relatives manage to cross over into Mexico. There, they join other immigrants waiting at
the Tapachula train yards. When a States-bound freight train arrives one night, they successfully rush to
board -- riding atop it, rather than in the cars -- as does Lil' Mago, who has commandeered Casper and
Smiley along to rob immigrants.
When day breaks, Lil' Mago makes his move and Casper in turn makes a fateful decision. Casper must
now navigate the psychological gauntlet of his violent existence and the physical one of the unforgiving
Mara, but Sayra bravely allies herself with him as the train journeys through the Mexican countryside
towards the hope of new lives.
A Focus Features presentation of a Primary Productions/Canana production. Sin Nombre. Paulina Gaitan,
Edgar Flores, Kristyan Ferrer, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Diana Garcia, Luis Fernando Pena, and Hector
Jimenez. Casting by Carla Hool, C.S.A. Music by Marcelo Zarvos. Music Supervisor, Lynn Fainchtein.
Costume Designer, Leticia Palacios. Editors, Luis Carballar and Craig McKay, A.C.E. Production Designer,
Claudio "Pache" Contreras. Director of Photography, Adriano Goldman. Executive Producers, Gerardo
Barrera, Pablo Cruz, Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal. Produced by Amy Kaufman. Written and Directed by
Cary Joji Fukunaga. A Focus Features Release. --© Focus Features
Sayra and her relatives manage to cross over into Mexico. There, they join other immigrants waiting at
the Tapachula train yards. When a States-bound freight train arrives one night, they successfully rush to
board -- riding atop it, rather than in the cars -- as does Lil' Mago, who has commandeered Casper and
Smiley along to rob immigrants.
When day breaks, Lil' Mago makes his move and Casper in turn makes a fateful decision. Casper must
now navigate the psychological gauntlet of his violent existence and the physical one of the unforgiving
Mara, but Sayra bravely allies herself with him as the train journeys through the Mexican countryside
towards the hope of new lives.
A Focus Features presentation of a Primary Productions/Canana production. Sin Nombre. Paulina Gaitan,
Edgar Flores, Kristyan Ferrer, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Diana Garcia, Luis Fernando Pena, and Hector
Jimenez. Casting by Carla Hool, C.S.A. Music by Marcelo Zarvos. Music Supervisor, Lynn Fainchtein.
Costume Designer, Leticia Palacios. Editors, Luis Carballar and Craig McKay, A.C.E. Production Designer,
Claudio "Pache" Contreras. Director of Photography, Adriano Goldman. Executive Producers, Gerardo
Barrera, Pablo Cruz, Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal. Produced by Amy Kaufman. Written and Directed by
Cary Joji Fukunaga. A Focus Features Release. --© Focus Features