Tents are packed together tightly in a small square in Mexico City, where Haitians who fled gang violence and poverty have established a temporary home. This micro-society has gathered beneath the statue of Giordano Bruno, an Italian philosopher who was burned at the stake in 1600 for his “heretical” ideas. The migrants burn incense at his feet, asking him to bless their visa applications.
In the midst of constant uncertainty, the film follows three women through the rhythm of daily life. We see them washing dishes, cooking, and fetching water; we listen in on conversations and hear the rain tapping on the tent canvases, the scraping of pots and pans. There are interpersonal tensions, laughter, romance, jealousy, and constant worries about the future—but also the hope of reaching the promised land and finding love.
The film’s contemplative tone evokes the Direct Cinema of the 1950s and 1960s, an effect further reinforced by the use of black-and-white and a square aspect ratio. Without losing sight of the urgency of their situation, the film deliberately moves beyond the fleeting impressions that generally define news coverage of migrants.
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