Sin nombre (film)
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| Sin Nombre | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Cary Joji Fukunaga |
| Written by | Cary Joji Fukunaga |
| Produced by | Amy Kaufman |
| Starring | Paulina Gaitán Edgar Flores Kristyan Ferrer Tenoch Huerta Mejía Diana García Héctor Jiménez Gerardo Taracena Luis Fernando Peña |
| Cinematography | Adriano Goldman |
| Edited by | Luis Carballar Craig McKay |
| Music by | Marcelo Zarvos |
Running time | 96 min. |
| Language | Spanish |
| Box office | $2,535,640 |
Sin Nombre, sometimes also known by its international English language title Without Name is an award-winning Spanish language film written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, from Focus Features and produced by Amy Kaufman. The executive producers were Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna and cinematography by Adriano Goldman. The film is set, and was shot in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico. Sin Nombre won both Dramatic Directing Award for director Cary Joji Fukunaga and the Excellence in Cinematography Award: Dramatic for Adriano Goldman at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
Plot
El Casper (Edgar Flores) (aka 'Willy') is a gang member initiating a young boy into his gang. The boy is given the nickname "El Smiley" (Kristyan Ferrer) following a violent initiation. Casper is romantically involved with a girl, Martha Marlene, but keeps the relationship a secret from his gang, fearing for the girl's safety. When she follows him to a gathering of his gang, the leader, Lil' Mago (Tenoch Huerta Mejía), insists on escorting her away in private, despite the protests of Casper. During an attempt to rape Martha Marlene, Li'l Mago accidentally kills her. He conveys this to Casper, telling him that he'll "find another".
Lil' Mago brings Smiley and Casper to La Bombilla, a location along the train tracks where illegal immigrants stow away on passing trains for travel to the United States. Among the illegal immigrants is the Honduran family the viewer has been introduced to consisting of a teenage girl Sayra (Paulina Gaitán), her father, and her uncle, who are on their way to New Jersey to live with relatives. Lil' Mago, Casper, and Smiley rob the passengers for any money they have until Lil' Mago spots Sayra and attempts to rape her. El Casper, still grief-stricken and possibly seeing parallels with Mago's treatment of his girlfriend, intervenes, killing Lil' Mago and urging Smiley off the train.
Throughout the train ride, Sayra keeps approaching Casper with curiosity despite her father's advice. Smiley goes back to the gang, telling them what happened. Furious, the gang leader El Sol accuses Smiley of collusion. Smiley timidly protests, begging to be sent to kill Casper to prove his loyalty. Back on the train, Casper, who has smuggled gang members in the past, knows the nuances of the journey, instructing fellow passengers when to get off the train and run around to avoid immigration officers. At one point, Casper is with Sayra's family. While they are sleeping he leaves the train quietly, only to discover Sayra with him, having followed him. The two journey north on a car transport, Casper evading local franchises of his gang which are all helping Smiley.
At an immigrant shelter, Sayra sees a familiar face and asks news of her father and uncle. She is told that her uncle has been deported and that her father is dead, whereupon she half-smiles in disbelief, and storms away.
At a river crossing where the attendant can only cross with one person at a time, Casper pays their fares with the digital camera containing the cherished pictures of his murdered girlfriend and insists Sayra goes first. Just as she is half way across, the gang find Casper, and, after a desperate chase, Smiley encounters him on the river bank and shoots him.
The dénouement shows Sayra outside a mega mall in the United States, calling the phone number of her dead father's second family which she had memorized, and Smiley, now accepted by his gang, getting a tattoo commemorating his loyalty.
Casting
Several of the extras used in the film were actual migrants. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga said of working with these migrants, "I didn't have to tell them anything - they know how to sit on top of a train."[1]
Cast
- Paulina Gaitán: Sayra
- Edgar Flores: Willy / El Casper
- Kristyan Ferrer: El Smiley
- Tenoch Huerta Mejía: Lil' Mago
- Diana García: Martha Marlene
- Héctor Jiménez: Leche / Wounded Man
- Gerardo Taracena: Horacio
- Luis Fernando Peña: El Sol
Awards
- Dramatic Directing Award (Cary Joji Fukunaga) – 2009 Sundance Film Festival
- Excellence in Cinematography Award: Dramatic (Adriano Goldman), 2009 Sundance Film Festival