This taut new feature from Rodrigo Plá (whose The Zone screened at the Festival in 2008) reveals the hardships people face when fighting the establishment— and the extremes they will undertake to have their voices heard.

Sonia (Jana Raluy) is woken up in the middle of the night when her husband Guillermo falls out of bed in tremendous pain. Guillermo has a terminal disease, and even though his condition is severe and seems to be worsening, his insurance company refuses to green-light his request to undertake a new treatment. Unable to accept this, Sonia decides to take matters into her own hands and pursues her husband’s doctor from his clinic to his residence. After the doctor explains the level of bureaucracy she is up against, Sonia realizes that the only way to secure the treatment her husband needs is to personally confront the key players hiding underneath the abundant red tape of Mexico’s healthcare system.

As dramatic as Sonia’s actions become, her desperate demands for help reflect an ever-burgeoning need for just treatment amongst the afflicted, not only in Mexico, but in many countries where the healthcare system treats sick people like a burden to be sloughed off. Based on the novel by Laura Santullo, Plá’s bracing, suspenseful thriller helps draw our attention to this vital issue. – Andres Castillo

This film is also a part of the Lexus Ibero American Feature Film Competition.