Two people on opposite sides of the immigration debate find each other lost in the desert and discover their humanity and the true plight of migrants crossing the Arizona desert.

• Tickets for our World Premiere at LALIFF on October 11 at 5 PM at the Chinese Grauman Theater can be purchased at:
  https://www.facebook.com/DetainedintheDesertMovie

THE MOVIE

Detained in the Desert parallels two completely different people: Sandi, a second-generation dark skinned Latina and Lou Becker, an inflammatory talk show radio host, whose lives converge in the desert of Arizona. An Arizona cop racially profiles Sandi, who refuses to show her identification in protest. Accordingly, her act of rebellion sets her on an unexpected course toward immigrant detention. Conversely, three siblings who have just suffered the loss of their brother due to a hate crime influenced by Lou’s racist talk show, kidnap him in hopes of seeking justice. While Sandi is being transferred to another immigrant detention center, her I.C.E. bus crashes in the desert. She escapes only to end up stranded in the desert. Lou is freed by one of his remorseful kidnappers, or so we think. Consequently, Sandi and Lou meet in the desert and help each other survive. Both Sandi and Lou come to understand the severity of the plight of the immigrants through a gruesome discovery.

THE BACKSTORY

Josefina Lopez, screenwriter, playwright, novelist, best known for co-writing the screenplay to the Sundance Award Winning film Real Women Have Curves, was angered and tired of hearing about the hate crimes committed against Latinos and all the anti-immigrant hate talk in recent years that she decided to write a play to protest SB1070 and all the anti-immigrant laws. She has won several awards for the play Detained in the Desert and she now wants to take it to a bigger audience so people can learn about the true plight of Latino immigrant and shatter myths and misconceptions concerning illegal immigration. Being an immigrant herself, Josefina wants to give a voice to the undocumented people who are scapegoated and vilified yet are the most powerless to tell their side of the story.

Josefina was also inspired to write this story after having participated in Marcha Migrante led by BORDER ANGELS’ founder Enrique Morones and visited the cemetery in Holtville, Arizona where the unclaimed bodies found in the desert of over 600 migrants are buried. She got to see photos of the bodies found in the desert and was haunted by the images she saw. Josefina has also seen Enrique Morones tirelessly put out water at the water stations in the desert to help migrants crossing the Arizona desert stay alive. He has also debated Sheriff Arpaio and other anti-immigrant activists as well as fight to shatter myths about immigrations with his humanitarian work. Josefina wants to create a movie that could help raise funds for BORDER ANGELS so they can continue to do their humanitarian work at the desert on a larger scale.

Iliana Sosa wrote, directed and produced an award winning film titled Child of the Desert, which Josefina got to see at the Boyle Heights Latina Independent Film Extravaganza this past March. She was so touched by Iliana’s film she felt Iliana could take her play and transform it into a film and convey the authenticity and dignity of the characters like she does in all her films. Iliana feels that the way we discuss race in the media needs to change and especially the way society and the media has portrayed undocumented immigrants. The moment is right to discuss issues of race, immigration and hate talk in this country not only because we’re at a pivotal point in US history but also because we can’t afford to sit by the sidelines and merely watch how people of color are often the target of hate speech, violence and racism. This shouldn’t be happening in 2012-but it’s and no one wants to talk about it. This film, however, boldly and in an unapologetic way addresses issues of Latino/a identity, the unnecessary deaths of immigrants in the desert and the deadly impact that hate speech in the media has on communities of color. Detained in the Desert showcases the endless possibilities that exist for different people from very different worlds to find a shared humanity. While we look across our neighbor to the South with weary and suspicious eyes, conflicting interests become marred and blurred when we realize that undocumented immigrants are not very different from us. Hollywood won’t tell this story, but we will-and we feel it’s important that we use filmmaking as a tool for social change. I can’t underestimate the importance of openly and frankly discussing these issues on film in this crucial election year with a wonderful team of women filmmakers.

OUR TEAM

Josefina López is best known for authoring the play and co-authoring the film Real Women Have Curves. Although Real Women Have Curves is Lopez’ most recognized work, it is only one of many literary and artistic works she has created since her artistic career began at 17. Born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico in 1969, Josefina Lopez was five years old when she and her family immigrated to the United States and settled in the East Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights. Josefina was undocumented for thirteen years before she received Amnesty in 1987 and eventually became a U.S. Citizen in 1995. Josefina is the recipient of a number of other awards and accolades, including a formal recognition from U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer’s 7^th Annual “Women Making History” banquet in 1998; and a screenwriting fellowship from the California Arts Council in 2001. She and Real Women Have Curves co-author George LaVoo won the Humanitas Prize for Screenwriting in 2002, The Gabriel Garcia Marquez Award from L.A. Mayor in 2003, and the Artist-in-Residency grant from the NEA/TCG for 2007. She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of CASA 0101 Theater in Boyle Heights. At CASA 0101 her commitment is to teach screenwriting and playwriting and nurture a new generation of Latino artists. Josefina is actively working to create an Artist District in Boyle Heights where theater, arts, music can flourish and create opportunities for the many talented artists who reside in Boyle Heights or grew up in Boyle Heights and want to return to contribute. Josefina is presently developing the musical version of Real Women Have Curves for Broadway. Her first novel titled Hungry Woman in Paris came out in 2009. She wrote a play to protest SB1070 titled Detained in the Desert, which won her many awards.

Iliana Sosa is a writer/director based in Los Angeles. She was born and raised in El Paso, Texas along the U.S.-Mexico Border to Mexican immigrant parents. Her work addresses socially relevant and cultural issues that affect marginalized communities in challenging and refreshing ways. A former Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, she holds an MFA in film production and directing from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and TV. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Steven Bochco Fellowship, the Hollywood Foreign Press Award, the Edie and Lew Wasserman Fellowship and the National Hispanic Foundation of the Arts Scholarship, among others. Her MFA thesis film, Child of the Desert, recently won Best Short Film and the Texas Award at the 2012 Oscar qualifying, USA Film Festival. She is honored to be directing and adapting Detained in the Desert to the big screen.

Frances E. Chang has worked in the film industry in both Northern and Southern California and often strives to represent diverse, ethnic and underrepresented voices in her projects. She entered filmmaking while studying Mass Communications at the University of California, at Berkeley, in 2008 then attended Berkeley Digital Film Institute on a full scholarship. After moving back to Los Angeles in 2009, Frances became involved with festival favorite, STRAPPED (2010), then worked for Cape Cod Films, LLC., where she participated in the distribution and marketing for multi-festival winner WILD ABOUT HARRY (2010), for which she attended the Cannes Film Festival & Market. In 2010, as part of its signature diversity talent development program, Project:Involve, Frances was awarded with a fellowship in the producing track by the esteemed non-profit organization Film Independent. Frances produced her first narrative feature film, NIGHTDREAMBLUES, in fall 2011 with her second feature, THE LOVELY REJECTS, following shortly in the same year. As a freelance producer and writer, Frances has worked on multiple media projects, including music videos and narrative filmmaking, and currently resides in the Los Angeles area where she is developing and writing two feature film scripts.

JUDY PHU is a freelance Director of Photography and part-time Professor of Cinematography/Film Production at Loyola Marymount University. She studied cinematography at UCLA’s MFA program, learning from Johnny Simmons, ASC, Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, John Bailey, ASC, Tom Denove and Bill Mcdonald. She has camera operated for veteran documentarian Joan Churchill, ASC, on her film about Haskell Wexler, ASC, giving Judy the opportunity to meet one of her cinematography idols. Judy’s work includes over 2 dozen short films, commercials, web content and the upcoming feature documentary, The Laundromat by Director Vanessa Yee. Detained in the Desert marks her fourth collaboration with Writer/Director Iliana Sosa. She is also in preproduction on a comedy feature as the Director of Photography, slated to go into production in early 2013. She is a fan of natural lighting, mixing color temperatures, and collaborating on compelling stories.

• Tickets for our World Premiere at LALIFF on October 11 at 5 PM at the Chinese Grauman Theater can be purchased at:
  https://www.facebook.com/DetainedintheDesertMovie