The Hostilities

In the deserted, littered streets of Santa Lucía, nothing ever seems to happen. But life behind the concrete walls is dominated by worry and uncertainty. When night falls, few dare to go outside for fear of the drug gangs. And even in broad daylight, there’s the danger of muggings, robberies, and murders.

Through interviews with his younger cousins Israel and Omar, director Sebastian Molina offers an inside view of growing up in rural Mexico in the stranglehold of the cartels. Several of their friends have already succumbed to the temptations of money, drugs, and women, and these attractions also exert their pull on Israel and Omar.

For the time being, they are staying on the straight and narrow, and repeating the mantra of the older generation: Santa Lucía used to be a peaceful place to raise a family. But meanwhile, they also hold forth with macho talk, promising certain death to anyone who harms their family—just as the drug cartels do.