Diego and Elena, an unmarried couple from Spain, arrive at the Newark airport hoping to see Diego’s brother before their connecting flight to Miami. Instead, they are pulled from some tense questioning at the customs and immigration counter and made to wait hours for additional screening. They are put through more tough interviews, first from a female Latina officer, then with the addition of a male Anglo agent. They need help understanding the problem. Diego, from Venezuela, has a degree in urban planning, and Elena, from Spain, is a dancer who teaches dance to children; both speak excellent English. Elena wins a visa in a lottery, and Diego can accompany her as her legal domestic partner.
As the questioning continues, it appears the agents are trying to drive the couple apart or make one doubt the motives of the other; they separate the couple to grill them alone and reveal some information that one was unaware of. You can’t help but wonder, would it have been better if the truth had never come out? Will they be permitted into the country? Has all trust between the two been destroyed? As chilling as any action film, this will stay with you long after the end credits.
Of the two directors, Juan Sebastian Vasquez has much experience in cinematography. The two filmmakers based the script on their personal experiences and their relatives’ experiences. It’s a jolting look at the immigration system.
Written and Directed by: Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastian Vasquez
Starring: Alberto Ammann as Diego
Bruno Cusi as Elena
Laura Gomez as agent
Ben Temple as agent