Kingdom of Shadows
Directed by Bernardo Ruiz
KINGDOM OF SHADOWS follows three people grappling with the hard choices and destructive consequences of the U.S.-Mexico “drug war”. Filmmaker Bernardo Ruiz weaves together the seemingly disconnected stories of an activist nun in deeply scarred Monterrey, Mexico, a U.S. Federal agent on the border, and a former Texas smuggler to reveal the human side of an often-misunderstood conflict that has resulted in the “disappearance” of more than 23,000 people in Mexico—a growing human rights crisis that only recently has made international headlines.
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Reviews
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★★★½ review by bcredskins on Letterboxd
Saw this at SXSW 2015- and really appreciated this documentary effort by Bernardo Ruiz.
Before "Carteland" & "Sicario" explored this topic of the U.S./Mexico drug war, I saw this documentary and was genuinely moved by stories of both Sister Morales documenting the and the people who are "disappeared" in the crossfire, a U.S. Federal agent on the border fighting the drug war, and a former Texas smuggler provides his perspective of the pre-violence days of drug trafficking.
The final shot of the family members staring sadly, yet stoically, into the camera remind us of the human toll reaching 20,000+ and reminds us that this is a war with no resolve.
Some excellent cinematography and truly memorable interviews documenting the drug war. Seek this out.
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