The Tijuana Project
John Sheedy
- USA/ Mexico
- 2009
- Runtime: 62 minutes
Arizona Premiere
Twelve year old Reyna lives next to an immense mountain of trash ten minutes from downtown Tijuana. With her brother, cousins and neighbors, she survives by collecting and recycling garbage.
The film is about children living in a city dump. Amid the roar of trucks and armies of competing sea gulls, they scavenge for toys and play with their finds.
Exposed to drug addiction and violence, chemicals, sharp objects and dead bodies, the children still tease and laugh as they share their lives with the camera. They dream of living in a bigger house, being an artist or a mechanic and having telephones. Without education their future is bleak, but there is a source of hope that inspires the children’s enthusiastic participation.
Director John Sheedy graduated from Prescott College with a degree in Social Documentary Photography. He also holds a masters degree in Art Education. His previous documentary, El Inmigrante (2005), screened at the 2006 Arizona International Film Festival.
http://tijuanaproject.org/
Credits
Producer: Las Americas Film NetworkCinematographer: John Sheedy
Editor: Scot Davis
Sound Design: Scot Davis
Music Score: Matthew Valverde & Nortec Collective
Additional Credits: Sasha Seyb- Assistant Director David Maung- Still Photographer Victor Villaseñor- Advisor