Tuesday, March 24, 5:00pm

UNC Charlotte Main Campus, College of Health and Human Services 145

Who Is Dayani Cristal?/¿Quién es Dayani Cristal?

Director Marc Silver

Mexico, USA, 2014, 85 min

In English and Spanish with English subtitles

Introduction by TBA

Deep in the sun-blistered Sonora desert beneath a cicada tree, Arizona border police discover a decomposing male body. Lifting a tattered T-shirt they expose a tattoo that reads “Dayani Cristal.” Who is this person? What brought him here? How did he die? And who—or what—is Dayani Cristal? Following a team of dedicated forensic anthropologists from the Pima County Morgue in Arizona, director Marc Silver seeks to answer these questions and give this anonymous man an identity. As the forensic investigation unfolds, Mexican actor and activist Gael Garcia Bernal retraces this man’s steps along the migrant trail in Central America. In an effort to understand what it must have felt like to make this final journey, he embeds himself among migrant travelers on their own mission to cross the border. He experiences first-hand the dangers they face and learns of their motivations, hopes and fears. As we travel north, these voices from the other side of the border wall give us a rare insight into the human stories which are so often ignored in the immigration debate.

Reviews:

“Breathtakingly beautiful.” – Damon Wise, The Guardian

“It’s an important documentary for the reasons documentaries are important: It puts a human face to a dehumanized issue.” – Bearing News

“Beautifully shot.” – Roque Planas, The Huffington Post

“Puts what had to have been formidable reporting to excellent use.” – Daphne Howland, Village Voice

“A thought-provoking documentary that takes a personal look at a large hot-button topic, this is recommended.” – C. Cassady, Videolibrarian

Social Media Links:

Who Is Dayani Cristal on Youtube 

Who Is Dayani Cristal on Facebook