Cleveland International Film Festival } March 30 – April 10, 2022

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At the Ready

Year: 2020
Country: UNITED STATES
Run Time: 98 minutes

El Paso, Texas is the largest city on the U.S.-Mexico border and home to one of the region’s largest law enforcement education programs. Local Horizon High School offers a law enforcement career track and a Criminal Justice Club that trains students to become police officers and Border Patrol agents. The programs are designed to engage youth, promote diligent police work, and generate students’ interest in law enforcement employment. AT THE READY profiles three club members as they train for a competition and prepare for a life-long career in their respective dream jobs. The documentary introduces audiences to: Cesar, whose father was deported for drug trafficking; Cristina, who’s attracted to Border Patrol’s competitive wages; and Kassy, who uses the group as a support system because her family rejects her queer identity. As the young recruits begin to discover their training conflicts with their social and political realities, will they be able to find a space in these organizations while staying true to themselves? (In English and Spanish with subtitles) — R.R.