1931, a year of nationalisms and excesses: The Chinese are expelled from Sonora; the US deports Mexicans and closes its borders. Twelve desperate people cross the Sonoran desert in a 1929 Chrysler, hoping to find peace in Baja California. As their sojourn exposes both the best and the worst of human nature, racism, greed, and paranoia prove as deadly as the merciless landscape around them.
Cinematography
The desert as a living, judging character.
Acting
Joaquín Cosío's weathered gravitas anchors every scene.
Production
Period detail that makes 1931 feel terrifyingly present.
Director
Alejandro Springall
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 1931 Chinese expulsion from Sonora was real history; thousands were forcibly deported, their property seized. The film treats this as backdrop but never forgets it.
The 1929 Chrysler was chosen specifically—it's the last year before the Crash, a symbol of false optimism carrying doomed passengers. The car dies before they do.
MX
