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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Monday 16 SepteMber 2019
Immigration tale 'El Norte' returning to theaters for 1 day

PHOENIX (AP) — "El Norte," generation ago, when civil
the seminal film about a war raged in the highlands
brother and sister who flee south of Mexico.
violence in Guatemala to Today's migrants are more
seek a new life in the Unit- likely to have small chil-
ed States, is returning to the dren in tow, but they aren't
big screen for one day this much different than those
month to commemorate its wayfarers of the past. The
35th anniversary. Central Americans show-
As the flood of Guatema- ing up these days on the
lans and other Central southern border say they
Americans endure the ar- are also escaping poverty
duous trek to The North, and violence, now inflict-
the movie feels as fresh to- ed mostly by street gangs
day as it did more than a called maras, which have

This image released by Lionsgate shows a scene from “El Norte,” the 1984 classic movie about
Latin American immigration to the U.S.
Associated Press

transformed their countries people subsequently legal- between the government
into some of the most dan- ized were Mexicans. But and leftist rebels.
gerous in the world. migrants continued to flow "El Norte" tells the story of
Restored by the Academy into the U.S. from Mexico as siblings Rosa and Enrique
of Motion Picture Arts and well as Guatemala, where Xuncax, who flee Guate-
Sciences, Gregory Nava's through most of the 1980s mala after the army slaugh-
"El Norte" will be play on the U.S. supplied military ters or takes away almost
Sept. 15 at some 200 movie training and materials to everyone in their small rural
theaters nationwide. Show- that country's army for a community.
ings will feature an intro- brutal counterinsurgency The siblings played by
duction by Nava, whose campaign. Mexican actors Zaide Silvia
other films include the hit Nava, 70, learned about Gutiérrez and David Villal-
"Selena" and "My Family." the struggles of immigra- pando launch their dan-
Tickets are available tion growing up in San Di- gerous trek through Mexico
through cinema distributor ego in a family wounded after Enrique gets advice
Fathom Events and partici- by the early 1930s deporta- from a family friend on how
pating movie theaters. The tion of his Mexican Ameri- to convince "la migra," or
anniversary showing will be can grandfather, one of U.S. immigration authorities,
followed with the release of many U.S. citizens and le- he's a Mexican if he's de-
the restored version of the gal residents kicked out of tained.
movie on digital formats by the county during an anti- Curse like crazy, the friend
Lionsgate . immigrant campaign by says, and the agents will
"I made 'El Norte' in large the administration of Presi- believe you are a Mexican
part because we needed dent Herbert Hoover. Na- and send you back over
a message of compassion va's grandmother was left the border to Tijuana, Mex-
and humanity" about im- alone in California to raise ico rather than all the way
migrants, said Nava, who seven children, including to Guatemala.
directed the 1984 film from the filmmaker's father. When they get to Tijuana,
a screenplay co-written "My family was ripped apart the siblings face a whole
with Anna Thomas. The pair because of this, something new set of challenges, in-
was nominated for the best we left hidden in a closet cluding a terrifying journey
screenplay Oscar. of shame," said Nava, who crawling under the border
"It made the difference in now lives in Santa Fe, New through an old sewage
helping legalize millions of Mexico. tunnel into San Diego.
people," said Nava. "We Nava said much of the film In another notable scene
need that message again." was made in the south- after they get to Los Ange-
Two years after "El Norte" ern Mexican state of Chi- les, Rosa becomes over-
was released, the Immigra- apas because the civil war whelmed by the dizzying
tion Reform and Control made working in Guate- array of options on a mod-
Act was signed into law by mala too dangerous. More ern washing machine. Na-
President Ronald Reagan, than 200,000 people were cha, a factory worker and
legalizing most immigrants killed or forcibly disap- maid played by the now-
who arrived in the country peared, many of them eth- late Mexican American
before Jan. 1, 1982 without nic Mayans, during 36 years actress Lupe Ontiveros, be-
permission. of hostilities that ended friends young Rosa as she
Many of the several million with 1996 peace accords adjusts to her new life.q