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Golden Dream (The)

Country: Guatemala, Language: Spanish, 103 mins

Original Title

La jaula de oro
  • Director: Diego Quemada-Díez
  • Writer: Lucia Carreras; Gibrán Portela; Diego Quemada-Díez
  • Producer: Daniela Alvarado; Pamela Guinea

CGiii Comment

Nothing short of remarkable.

Three teens - 2 boys and a girl dressed as a boy - make their way from Guatemala to the USA...a journey through Hell.

The director refuses to dwell on the cruelty, the exploitation - almost as if...it's expected, it's the norm.

And then, when all hope is lost - there is a simple act of kindness.

Juan is single-minded, not cold-hearted, he survives...for his dream - it's more like a nightmare.

Beautifully filmed, perfectly played...and, with the sparse dialogue - the pictures speak for themselves. The heartbreak exists only for the viewer - these kids have to survive, they have no time to dwell...time: that's just a rich man's luxury.

An extraordinarily composed film. It will leave you thinking...was it all worth it?

Be humbled.


Trailer...

 

The(ir) Blurb...

Juan, Sara, and Samuel, three teenagers from the slums of Guatemala, travel to the United States in search of a better life. On their journey through Mexico, they meet Chauk, an Indian from Chiapas who doesn't speak Spanish. Traveling together in freight trains and walking on railroad tracks, they soon have to face a harsh reality.

Cast & Characters

Brandon Lopez as Juan;
Rodolfo Dominguez as Chauk;
Karen Martinez as Sara;
Carlos Chajon as Samuel;
Hector Tahuite as Gregorio;
Ricardo Esquerra as Vitamina;
Luis Alberti as Hombre con Machete;
Cesar Banuelos as Jefe Secuestro Tren;
Gilberto Barraza as Coyote;
Juan Carlos Medellin as Policia