Julien Elie

As the Christmas holidays begin, a group of 10 war-obsessed kids have a wave of inspiration: What if they spend the next two weeks engaged in a simulated war, armed only with shields, wooden swords, snowballs, and a fierce sense of competition? With a bounty chest waiting for the winners, the two sides gradually grow in size, and the war grows in importance, taking over all aspects of their lives.

Boca Chica, Texas. Hemmed in by the Gulf of Mexico and the Rio Grande, the village is defined by the rhythmic sound of the waves. But this wild country is in the midst of irreversible change. For the swamps have been drained, the beaches closed and the homes bought out: the shadow looming over the beach is that of a 50-story rocket, being readied for launch into space.

Five years after Soleils noirs, Julien Elie returns with a rigorously researched work, asserting itself as a genuine cinematic piece. This time, he turns the spotlight on the regime of terror and violence forged by transnational companies, in collaboration with the Mexican government and organized crime allowing them to appropriate land and exploit resources. With respect and careful attention to detail, the film uncovers the courage and dignity of resistance to this new kind of colonialism that is both destructive and murderous in nature and reigns with utter impunity. The camera hones in on the faces of those who have dared to speak out, and on their daily lives, which have been turned upside down. It magnifies a land of great beauty and richness marked by physical and psychological scars.

An epic investigation into countless murders in Mexico. Presented in chapters, the film unfolds methodically through unsettling testimonials, sketching a portrait of an entire country transformed into a gigantic mass grave thanks to a climate of impunity established by both criminal gangs and state authorities.

A behind-the-scenes special included with some pressings of Amon Tobin's 2007 CD Foley Room.