Martha Sosa Movies

The subject of illegal immigration is a hot-button topic in the United States, but filmmakers Juan Carlos Rulfo and Carlos Hagerman examine the issue from an unexplored angle in this documentary. Those Who Remain looks at how illegal immigration to the United States has impacted Mexico though interviews with people whose family and friends have left Mexico for the dream of a better life in America, and what became of those who stayed on the Southern side of the border. Marisela is a wife and mother whose husband has gone to America, and as she struggles to care for their children on her own, she wonders if she'll ever be able to reunite the family in the U.S. Raquel is another wife whose husband crossed into America, but with tragic results -- he lost his life in a violent incident once he settled on the other side. Pascual and Juanita are seniors who have seen three of their children leave Mexico for the United States, leaving them to wonder of they'll ever see their loved ones again. Gerardo wants to leave his hometown, which has been hit hard by an economic downturn, but his wife is bitterly opposed to the idea, which is bringing their relationship to the breaking point. And Francisco is a horseman who is happy to explain why he stays in Mexico, even as many of those closest to him have left. Those Who Remain also touches on how many Mexicans perceive life in the United States, which doesn't always match up with the reality others find in el norte. Those Who Remain was an official selection at Toronto's 2009 Hot Docs Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The perfect crime goes horribly, absurdly awry in this Spanish-language tale of avarice starring Y Tu Mamá También's Diego Luna. Told in real time, Nicotina charts the different paths taken by eight characters over the course of a botched diamond heist masterminded by tech geek Lolo (Luna), Tomson (Jésus Ochoa), and El Nene (Lucas Crespi), each of whom has his own Achilles' heel when it comes to committing crime. For Lolo, it's his incessant, unrequited attraction to his neighbor Andrea (Marta Belaustegui); for El Nene, it's his overwhelming need to look cool as a neophyte gangster; and for Tomson, it's his loose-cannon demeanor that threatens to do him -- and everyone else -- in. Over the course of an hour and a half, the trio becomes intertwined with a variety of mobsters, shop owners, and not-so-innocent bystanders, each encounter bringing unexpectedly violent obstacles to securing the precious gems. Nicotina premiered in North America at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival before heading to the AFI film fest. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi