TEMPESTAD

Follow the parallel stories of Miriam and Adela, two of the latest victims of oppressive fear driven by corruption in Mexico. Miriam, taken from her job and arrested for people trafficking, lands in prison 1,000 miles from her home and young son. When she arrives, she learns she has earned the unfortunate responsibility of a “payer”—an innocent person forced to pay for someone else’s crimes. Worse, the prison functions at the hands of a ruthless cartel willing to inflict unspeakable violence to maintain control. For Adela, a clown in a traveling circus, ten years have passed since her 20-year-old daughter Monica disappeared. A few days after her vanishing, the family received a ransom note demanding payment in exchange for their daughter’s safety. Forbidden to conduct their own search, Adela’s family is forced into hiding, dodging death threats for continuing their investigation of their missing daughter. In TEMPESTAD, Miriam and Adela bravely reflect on their years living in paralyzing fear with the faint hope of one day reuniting with their children—the thing that keeps them forging ahead. (In Spanish with subtitles) —A.B.