Who is Dayani Cristal? (pictured left), a new documentary focused on the human toll of the U.S. immigration crisis starring Gael García Bernal and directed by Marc Silver, will open on April 25th in New York at Cinema Village, followed by a release to select cities nationwide.
Winner of the Sundance 2013 World Cinema Cinematography Award and an official selection at the 51st New York Film Festival, Who is Dayani Cristal? adds critical perspective to the intense immigration reform debate in the United States.
In this piercing documentary that pushes the edges of the non-fiction form, acclaimed Mexican actor and activist Gael García Bernal tells the story of one of the many migrant workers who lost their lives in the stretch of Arizona desert known as "the corridor of death." As García Bernal retraces this man’s steps along the migrant trail in Central America, he and director Marc Silver show how one life can become a powerful testimony to the tragic results of the U.S. war on immigration.
With contributions from the dedicated forensic examiners of the Pima County Morgue in Arizona, the film seeks to answer questions surrounding the death of this yet-unidentified man. As the investigation unfolds, García Bernal embeds himself among migrant travelers on their own mission to cross the border. He witnesses first-hand the dangers these men, women and children face on their way to the United States, also offering new insight into their sacrifices in search for a better life.
García Bernal and director Silver have created an unique experiential documentary that illuminates an urgent issue of immigration. The film brings viewers intimately close to the often-invisible lives that have been affected by a broken immigration policy.
Watch the trailer:
