Global Impact Film Festival 2018 - They Took Them Alive
More than two years after 43 students disappeared from Ayotzinapa in Mexico, their loved ones still seek justice and closure.
Interview with Director Emily Pederson
Watch They Took Them Alive here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
In Mexico, the Drug War has left over 30,000 people missing on top of hundreds of thousands of deaths. I was working as a stills photographer on one case: a mass disappearance where 43 college students were abducted by police and had not been seen since. It was a case that shook the whole country, and the families were living in a state of torment, unable to know what had happened and searching for their sons day in and day out.
I decided to make a film when it became clear that a credible investigation by international human rights experts was being obstructed by the Mexican government, and the group was going to be pushed out of the country. At that point, I thought a film could tell the story more powerfully than still images.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This film takes you inside one of the biggest social movements to emerge in Mexico in recent years, which is the movement for justice in the case of the missing students and everything it exposed about collusion between the Mexican government and the cartels. At the same time, it is personal and intimate, and you are on the bus with these families who are ceaselessly fighting for their children. Whether you know a lot about the crisis in Mexico or aren’t familiar with it, the artistic approach we used draws you in and helps you feel what it means for its people to be experiencing one of the most tragic stages of their history.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Family, love, and loss are some of the most universal human experiences, and I think we can all relate to what it would feel like to have a loved one just disappear and not have any answers. At the same time, the act of speaking truth to power is shared by struggles all around the world, and seeing it happen anywhere is electrifying.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
During the whole process we had really valuable rounds of edits from our EPs, Laura Poitras, AJ Schnack and Charlotte Cook at Field of Vision. I had originally envisioned a 30 minute film, but in the end we made it really tight at less than 20. Since there’s so much to say about this event and what it means to Mexico, it was tempting to turn the film into a kind of essay, but we opted for a more subtle, evocative approach.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from festivals and audiences, including some awards and a review in The New York Times. I’ve been happy to see it resonate with people on both sides of the border, and with people who are connected to the issues and people who aren’t. But the most important to me was when I talked to Mayra, who’s an aunt of one of the missing students and who was in the film with her family, and she told me they were all moved to tears when they watched it.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I had one person who thought the film didn’t give enough context or talk enough about the roots of the issues, and that challenged my point of view because context is critical in documentary work. Since this was such a short, compact format and we had to cover a lot of ground in the narrative, I stand by my choices and making it more intimate than historical — but it made me want to do a feature documentary where there would be enough space to include it all.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I hope it can reach a wider audience and that I can connect with others in the community.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
At this point I want to connect with advocates or impact producers to bring this film to people who can have a more direct impact on the issues. Festival directors and anyone else interested in helping the film reach more audiences are always welcome too.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I’d like for it to shed light on the violent reality in Mexico, and connect people to the experiences of those who are carrying the cross. In Mexico specifically, I’d like for it to help people who’ve been moved by the case from afar feel more connected to these families and increase their resolve. Above all, I want it to contribute to ongoing media attention and the push for accountability.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Will these families ever get justice? And should the United States be contributing funding to Mexico’s Drug War when crimes like this have been committed by police and the military?
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you to the entire team of collaborators who gave their best to this film, and above all to the families.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Right now, I’m working on projects about immigration in the US. My experience has given me an idea of what many people are fleeing from when they come here, and the way they’re being treated is unconscionable. Field of Vision is also constantly producing new short films on unfolding events, which they post on fieldofvision.org.
Interview: September 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
They Took Them Alive
More than two years after 43 students disappeared from Ayotzinapa in Mexico, their loved ones still seek justice and closure.
Length: 18 minutes
Director: Emily Pederson
Producer: Patricia Benabe
Writer: Editor: Carlos Rojas Felice
About the writer editor, director and producer:
EMILY PEDERSON is a New York-based independent documentary photographer and filmmaker. Her work focuses on human rights, social movements, and the aftermath of violence.
PATRICIA BENABE is a documentary film producer and writer. She is the founder of Rayuela Films, which produces social issue documentaries that foster constructive dialogue.
CARLOS ROJAS FELICE is a documentary editor based in NYC. He has edited Tre, Maison, Dasan, and most recently Netizens (Tribeca 2018) as finishing editor.
Looking for: Journalists, impact producers, advocates, agencies
Facebook: Field of Vision Unit
Instagram: @emilykpederson, @fieldofvision AND @rayuelafilms
Other: emilykpederson.com
Funders: Field of Vision
Made in association with: Rayuela Films
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Online at fieldofvision.org