''Entre nos'' ( en, Between Us, italic=yes) is a 2009 drama film directed by

Paola Mendoza Paola Mendoza is a film director, activist, author, and artist. In 2017, she co-founded and served as the artistic director for the 2017 Women's March. Early life Mendoza was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. She came to the United States ...

and Gloria La Morte. The film is a semi-autobiographical tale based on the arrival of Mendoza's own mother to the United States. The film explores the life of Mariana, a Colombian immigrant attempting to survive on the streets of New York City with her two children. The film has been screened at over 14 film festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival, where it received an Honorable Mention for Narrative Feature.

Synopsis

Mariana is a Colombian immigrant who has recently traveled to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

with her two children, 10-year-old Gabriel and 6-year-old Andrea, in order to be reunited with her husband, Antonio. However, one day Antonio leaves his family after announcing that he has found work in Miami, and it soon becomes apparent to Mariana that he does not intend to return. Seeing this, she sets out with her children onto the streets of Queens in an attempt to scrape together a decent living. When selling her homemade

empanadas An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Spanish, other Southern European, Latin American, and Iberian-influenced cultures around the world. The name comes from the Spanish (to bread, i.e., ...

fails to bring in any money, Mariana and the children begin collecting aluminum cans off the city's streets. Complications arise, and soon the family finds itself in a desperate day-to-day struggle for survival.

Cast

as Mariana *Sebastian Villada as Gabriel *Laura Montana Cortez as Andrea *Anthony Chisholm as Joe *Andres Munar as Antonio *

Sarita Choudhury Sarita Catherine Louise Choudhury (born 18 August 1966) is a British actress, known for her role as Mina in the Mira Nair-directed feature film ''Mississippi Masala'' (1991). Choudhury has played roles in American and international films and tel ...

as Preet *Isabel Sung as Mi-Sun

Production

The screenplay for ''Entre nos'' took two years to complete. Due to the strict requirements of the roles, La Morte and Mendoza auditioned over 200 girls for the role of Andrea and over 300 boys for the role of Gabriel before ultimately settling on Cortez and Villada Lopez.

Release

The film made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2009, and subsequently screened on the festival circuit. It was given a limited release in select cinemas in New York and Miami on May 14, 2010.

Critical reception

The film received positive reviews from film critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 83% of professional critics gave the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.2/10. A review by Andy Webster of '' The New York Times'' said of directors Mendoza and La Morte that "both are deft with pacing, composition and atmosphere," in addition to claiming that the scenes involving Mariana's children "have charm and authenticity." V.A. Musetto of '' The New York Post'' called Mendoza's performance "heart-tugging." David Noh of '' Film Journal International'' described the film as "an indictment of this incredibly wealthy country's indifference to the less fortunate," and praised the performances of Villada and Cortez, referring to the two as "miracles of naturalism." Michelle Orange of '' The Village Voice'' called the film "strangely resonant" and claimed the directors have a "mitigating eye for destitution." According to '' Slashfilm'',

Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism. Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...

included ''Entre nos'' on his list of the 20 best films of 2009, in an email Moore sent to those on his mailing list.

Awards

References

External links

Official website
* * *{{AllMovie title, 483339 2009 drama films 2009 films 2009 independent films American independent films Films set in New York City Films about poverty in the United States Films about immigration to the United States Spanish-language American films Spanish-language drama films 2000s Spanish-language films