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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Human Rights Film Series:  Cartel Land


Announcing the first of this Spring semester’s Human Rights Film Series:  Cartel Land.

Tuesday, Feb. 23, 6 pm
Warshof Conference Center, Monroe B

Wednesday, Feb. 24, 4 pm
Room 4151, Damon City Campus

In this Sundance award- winning film, Director Matthew Heineman and Executive Producer Kathryn Bigelow gain unprecedented, on-the-ground access to the riveting stories of two modern- day vigilante groups and their shared enemy -the murderous Mexican drug cartels.

In the Mexican state of Michoacan, Dr. Jose Mireles, a small-town physician known as "El Doctor," leads the Autodefensas, a citizen uprising against the violent Knights Templar drug cartel. Meanwhile, in Arizona's Altar Valley - a narrow, 52 mile long desert corridor known as Cocaine Alley,  Tim "Nailer" Foley, an American veteran, heads a small paramilitary group called Arizona Border Recon, whose goal is to stop Mexico's drug wars from seeping across our border. Heineman embeds himself in the heart of darkness as Nailer, El Doctor vie to bring their own brand of justice to a society where institutions have failed. The film is a chilling, visceral meditation on the breakdown of order and the blurry line between good and evil. (A trailer and further information on the film including the accolades it has received can be found at: https://cartellandmovie.com/#top)

Cartel Land provocatively presents numerous ethical questions concerning vigilante ‘justice’.  A facilitated discussion will follow the film.   Facilitators for the post-screening discussion are:  Christina Rowley (Spanish) and Peter Francione (Law/Criminal Justice).

The intention of planning the Human Rights Film Series is to bring quality documentaries that address human rights abuses across the globe to MCC.  The documentaries are shown at both campuses and are followed by facilitated discussions.  Films are open to the entire MCC community and are free of charge.  

Michelle Parker
The Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Project
02/04/2016