Oct 12, 2013 at 7:30 pm
No Beast So Fierce
With Pedro Ultreras and Óscar Martínez
The journey through Central America and Mexico for migrants seeking to reach the United States is a treacherous one. As many as 20,000 are kidnapped, thousands more are murdered and many others die from the dangers faced on this trail. People hang on to the tops of freight trains, pay shadowy smugglers, are forced into prostitution and risk becoming the target of human traffickers. Yet every year, more than a quarter of a million migrants make the journey from Central America to the United States—many in search of a better life, but the majority fleeing brutality and oppression.
In his book,
The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail, Óscar Martínez writes in powerful, unforgettable prose about clinging to the tops of freight trains; finding respite, work and hardship in shelters and brothels; and riding shotgun with the border patrol. Illustrated with stunning full-color photographs, The Beast is the first book to shed light on the harsh new reality of the migrant trail in the age of the narcotraficantes. For more information and pre-order the book visit this
site.
Program
The Beast (La Bestia), directed by Pedro Ultreras67 minutes| Mexico |USA| 2010 |HD Projection| Spanish (English Subtitles)
For close to two decades, thousands of Central American migrants have lost their dreams, limbs and even their lives trying to illegally cross Mexico. Crossing Mexico is the insurmountable challenge that faces all those whose only goal is to reach the United States. The nightmare begins the moment they step onto Mexican soil. Here they must jump on to a cargo train known simply as La Bestia or The Beast, an agonizing journey from which there is no way back; a travesty comparable only to hell itself. To film this documentary, the filmmakers rode alongside these Central American migrants for two weeks, braving the journey with those fighting for a better life. La Bestia, a heart breaking film by Pedro Ultreras and Hiram Gonzalez, showcases the determination of the human spirit and the unquenchable thirst for something more.
120 minutes
Pedro Ultreras is a 3 time Emmy nominated news reporter for the Spanish Television Media in the USA. In his 20 years news career, Pedro has been assigned to cover national and international news evens from Middle East, Europe, Africa and Latin America. He is a frequent news correspondent with CNN Español, Univision Network News and Aquí y Ahora a Univision news investigative weekly show. As a filmmaker, Pedro wrote and directed
7 Soles/7 Suns, a movie that deals with the human trafficking issue between México and United States.
7 Soles was an official selection in 10 international film festivals. His latest film is a documentary titled,
ABC Never Again. He currently resides in New York City. For more information on Pedro and his projects click
here.
Óscar Martínez writes for
ElFaro.net, the first online newspaper in Latin America. The original edition of his book
Los migrantes que no importan was published in 2010 by Icaria and El Faro and a second edition by Mexico’s
sur+Ediciones in 2012. Martínez is currently writing chronicles and articles for El Faro’s project, Sala Negra, investigating gang violence in Latin America. In 2008, Martínez won the Fernando Benítez National Journalism Prize in Mexico, and in 2009, he was awarded the Human Rights Prize at the José Simeón Cañas Central American University in El Salvador.
