Matson Films has announced the U.S. theatrical premiere and national tour of the U.S.-Mexico co-production film Purgatorio by director Rodrigo Reyes, named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Cinema. The documentary feature will have its U.S. Theatrical run opening on Friday, October 3 at Cinema Village in New York City, and October 10 at Laemmle Noho in Los Angeles, followed by a other engagements across the country.
Hailed as an “exquisitely crafted film with poetic overtones and a wide sweeping vision” by documentary filmmaker Alan Berliner, Reyes’ provocative essay film reimagines the U.S./Mexico border as a mythical place comparable to Dante’s purgatory, and leaving politics aside, he takes a fresh look at the brutal beauty of the border and the people caught in its spell.
By capturing a stunning mosaic of compelling characters and broken landscapes that live on the both sides of the border, the filmmaker reflects on the flaws of human nature and the powerful absurdities of the modern world. An unusual border film in the auteur tradition of caméra-stylo, Purgatorio ultimately becomes a fable of humanity, an epic and visceral experience with powerful and lingering images.
Purgatorio had its world premiere at the Guadalajara Film Festival, and its U.S. premiere in the official competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival. The film has participated in numerous film festivals around the world including MoMA’s Documentary Fortnight, Vancouver, Woodstock, Havana, Raindance, Warsaw, Morelia, Bordocs (Tijuana), Distrital (Mexico City), It’s All True (Brazil), New Orleans –where it won the prize for Best Documentary Feature, and Ann Arbor where it received the Michael Moore Award.
Watch the trailer:
