La Jaula de Oro

Beautifully subdued and adventurous road movie about the dangerous ‘teenage tour’ undertaken by Juan, Sara and Samuel. Only 15 years of age and without any papers, they set out on a journey which takes them from Guatemala across Mexico to the promised land, America. Despite their differences they are driven by the ambition to share in the wealth of the City of Angels: Los Angeles. Poignant opening film of the 2014 Movies that Matter Festival. 

“Everything is better up north”, according to Juan, and therefore he leaves his makeshift home in Guatemala City to head towards California, hoping to find a better life there. His two friends Sara and Samuel come along. On their way they meet indigenous Indian Chauk, who does not speak Spanish but joins the group anyway. Paperless and penniless, they have to travel on the roof of a freight train, just like thousands of other South Americans who undertake this perilous journey. But what will await them if they manage to cross the border without getting caught? Will they find the prosperity and happiness for which they left everything behind?
Diego Quemada-Díez’ movie debut features strong performances by amateur actors, exciting plot twists and a dramatic climax, and sheds light on the complex issue of large-scale illegal immigration.
In one of its previous editions, the Movies that Matter Festival screened the short film I Want to Be a Pilot, also directed by Quemada-Díez, who is a disciple of filmmaker Ken Loach.