El Norte
Theatrical Poster
Directed by	Gregory Nava
Produced by	Bertha Navarro Trevor Black Anna Thomas
Written by	Gregory Nava Anna Thomas
Starring	Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez David Villalpando
Music by	The Folkloristas Malecio Martinez Linda O'Brien Emil Richards
Cinematography	James Glennon
Editing by	Betsy Blankett Milicevic
Distributed by	Cinecom International PBS
Release date(s)	January 11, 1984 (New York City)
Running time	139 minutes
Country	United States  United Kingdom
Language	Spanish English Maya
Budget	$800,000[1]
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

El Norte is an American and British film, directed by Gregory Nava. The screenplay was written by Nava and Anna Thomas. The movie was first presented at the Telluride Film Festival in 1983, and its wide release was in January 1984.^[2] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Gregory Nava publicity photo Gregory Nava, a third generation Mexican-American (born April 10, 1949 in San Diego, California) is a film director, producer and screenplay writer, of Mexican and Basque heritage. ... Anna Thomas is a producer and screenplay writer. ... Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez Publicity photo Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez is a Mexico born actress whose break out role was the 1984 film El Norte. ... David Villalpando (born January 2, 1959 in Mexico City, D.F.) is a Mexican actor, whose break out role was in the film El Norte (1983). ... Emil Richards is a percussionist who plays a variety of different percussive instruments. ... James Glennon, ASC (born 29 August 1942 in Los Angeles, California), is an American cinematographer working on feature motion pictures including as Director of Photography of the American unit for Return Of The Jedi, Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt and others including El Norte. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1625 Government  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area  - City  468. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Gregory Nava publicity photo Gregory Nava, a third generation Mexican-American (born April 10, 1949 in San Diego, California) is a film director, producer and screenplay writer, of Mexican and Basque heritage. ... Anna Thomas is a producer and screenplay writer. ... 32nd Poster, by Dave McKean The Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado. ... // February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Lets Spend the Night Together opens in New York North Americas Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Tootsie Trading Places, starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy WarGames, starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy Superman III Flashdance Staying Alive Octopussy Mr. ... // Events The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name. ...

The picture was partly funded by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), a non-profit public broadcasting television service in the United States. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A non-profit organization (often called non-profit org or simply non-profit or not-for-profit) can be seen as an organization that doesnt have a goal to make a profit. ... Public broadcasting is a form of public service broadcasting (PSB) intended to serve the diverse needs of the listening public. ...

El Norte received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay in 1985, the first American independent film to be so honored.^[3] Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... // The Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. ... An independent film, or indie film, is usually a low-budget film that is produced by a small movie studio. ...

The film stars Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez and David Villalpando, in their first film roles, as two indigenous youths who flee Guatemala in the early 1980s due to ethnic and political persecution. They head north and travel through Mexico and arrive in Los Angeles, California via an arduous journey. Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez Publicity photo Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez is a Mexico born actress whose break out role was the 1984 film El Norte. ... David Villalpando (born January 2, 1959 in Mexico City, D.F.) is a Mexican actor, whose break out role was in the film El Norte (1983). ... The word indigenous is an adjective derived from the Latin word indigena, meaning native, belonging to, aboriginal; and has several applications: Indigenous peoples, communities and cultures native or indigenous to a territory; Indigenous (band), a Native American blues-rock band; In biology, indigenous means native to a place or biota... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ...

Plot

The writing team of Nava and Thomas split the story into three parts:

Arturo Xuncax: The first part takes place in a small rural Guatemalan village and introduces the Xuncax family, a group of indigenous Mayans. Arturo is a coffee picker and his wife a homemaker. Arturo explains to his son, Enrique, his world view and how the indio fares in Guatemalan life, noting that "to the rich, the peasant is just a pair of strong arms."^[4] Because of his attempts to form a labor union among the workers, Arturo and the other organizers are murdered when a co-worker is bribed to betray them — Arturo's severed head is seen hanging from a tree^[5] —, and the children's mother is "disappeared" or abducted by soldiers. So, the two decide to flee Guatemala, the land of their birth, and head north. A Hupa man. ... // Maya may refer to: The Maya, Native American peoples of southern Mexico and northern Central America Maya peoples, the contemporary indigenous peoples Maya civilization, their historical pre-Columbian civilization Mayan languages, the family of languages spoken by the Maya Yucatec Maya language, specific and most widespread Mayan language, frequently referred... A cup of coffee Workers sorting and pulping coffee beans in Guatemala Coffee is a widely consumed beverage prepared from the roasted seeds — commonly referred to as beans — of the coffee plant. ... Two homemakers. ... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers... Bribery is the practice of offering a professional money or other favours in order to circumvent ethics in a variety of professions. ... A Forced disappearance occurs when an organization (usually a ruling government and that is usually a police state or dictatorship) forces a person to disappear from public view. ...

Coyote: During the second part of the film the two teenagers flee Guatemala, travel through Mexico, and meet a Mexican coyote who guides them across the border. This section includes various comic scenes relating to mutual stereotyping among different ethnic groups; the two attempt to pass themselves off as Mexican indigenous people, failing to convince one Mexican truck driver after naming the wrong destination, but later succeeding in convincing a Border Patrol officer by copiously peppering their responses with the Spanish word for "fuck," which a neighbor had suggested was how all Mexicans speak.^[5] After their first failed attempt to cross the "frontera" they have a horrific experience when they finally cross the Mexican-American border through a sewer pipe and run into rats; critic Roger Ebert noted: People smuggling is a term which is used to describe the illegal and organised smuggling of people across international boundaries, usually for financial gain. ... For the 1996 Blur single, see Stereotypes (song). ... Categories: Stub | U.S. Dept. ... Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ...

The scene is horrifying, not least because it's pretty clear these are real rats. Disease-free rats purchased from a laboratory, yes, but real rats all the same, and although Gutierrez was phobic about rats, she insisted on doing her own scenes, and her panic is real.^[6]

El Norte: In the final part of the film Rosa and Enrique discover the difficulties of living in America without official documentation. The brother and sister team find work and a place to live and initially feel good about their decision. However, Rosa nearly is caught up in an immigration raid and must find a new job. Enrique uses a day laborer pool to obtain a job as a busboy and, as his English classes begin to improve his command of the language, he is promoted to a position as a waiter and is approached by a businesswoman who has a better-paying job for him in Chicago, which he initially declines; he too encounters problems when a jealous U.S.-born coworker reports him to immigration, causing him to flee the restaurant and seek out the businesswoman. Day labor is work done where the worker is hired and paid one day at a time, with no promise that more work will be available in the future. ... A busboy is an assistant to a waiter or waitress, mainly specializing in setting and clearing tables or in some types of restaurants, in bringing the introductory foods, for example tortilla chips and salsa in a Mexican restaurant or bread in an Italian restaurant. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ...

He decides to take the position, but when Rosa becomes ill with typhoid contracted from the rat bites she received during their border crossing, he delays leaving for Chicago and loses the position. After Rosa dies, he is shown once again waiting with the other day-labor hopefuls in a parking lot, offering his services to a man looking for "strong arms"; reviewer Renee Scolaro Rathke observes, "It is a bitter realization that Arturo's words about the poor being nothing but arms for the rich holds true even in El Norte."^[5] This is about the disease typhoid fever. ...

The final shot in the film again shows a severed head hanging from a rope, which may be the same image used in Part I of the film; one critic has commented that a hanging, severed head is "a symbolic device used in some Latin films to signify that the character has committed suicide." ^[7]

Rosa sums up the film's major theme when she says to her brother Enrique near the end:

In our homeland there's no place for us, they want to kill us. In Mexico there's only poverty. And in the north we aren't accepted. When are we going to find a home, maybe only in death?

Exhibition

Tagline: The magical film that reveals the world between the dream and the reality. A dream is the experience of envisioned images, sounds, or other sensations during sleep. ... Reality in everyday usage means the state of things as they actually exist. ...

The film was first presented on September 3, 1983 at the Telluride Film Festival. It was released in England on October 11, 1983. September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years). ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 32nd Poster, by Dave McKean The Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On January 11, 1984 the movie opened in New York City and on January 27, 1984, it opened in wide release. January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1625 Government  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area  - City  468. ... January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A director's cut was re-released in May 2000.^[8] May is the fifth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Background

Funeral procession in Guatemala.

The origins of El Norte is the director's experiences in San Diego as he grew up. Nava came from a border family and has relatives in Tijuana, Mexico. As a youth, he crossed the border several times a week, often wondering who lived in all those cardboard shacks on the Mexican side. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney         City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders (R) Michael Aguirre Scott Peters Kevin... Geography Tijuana is a city in northwestern Mexico. ...

For research the producers of El Norte learned about the plight of indigenous Guatemalans from years of research, much of it conducted among exiles living in Southern California. According to Nava, "There are hundreds of thousands of refugees from Central America in Los Angeles alone. Nobody knows the exact number, but a recent TV inquiry estimated 300,000-400,000. In our own research, we came across a community of Mayans from Guatemala - 5,000 from one village - now in Los Angeles. The original village, which is now dead, had 15,000."^[9] The word indigenous is an adjective derived from the Latin word indigena, meaning native, belonging to, aboriginal; and has several applications: Indigenous peoples, communities and cultures native or indigenous to a territory; Indigenous (band), a Native American blues-rock band; In biology, indigenous means native to a place or biota... For the urban complex straddling the United States-Mexico border, see Bajalta California. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... For other uses, see Television (disambiguation). ... this article concerns in particular the contemporary indigenous peoples and cultures who descend from, or remain, speakers of the Mayan languages of southern Mesoamerica. ...

Annette Insdorf, writing for The New York Times, said Nava discussed the singular nature of the US-Mexico border. Nava said: "The border is unique--the only place in the world where an industrialized first-world nation shares the border with a third-world country. In California, it's just a fence: on one side are the Tijuana slums, on the other side--San Diego. It's so graphic! This was the germ of the story."^[10] The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows his find. ...

The motion picture has become a staple of high school Spanish language classes throughout the United States and multiculturalism studies in college. Main article: Secondary education High school is a name used in some parts of the world, and particularly in North America, to describe the last segment of compulsory education. ... This article is about the international language known as Spanish. ... Multiculturalism is the ideal that modern societies should embrace and include distinct cultural groups with equal social status. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ...

Financing

Enrique and Rosa make it to el norte

Nava and Anna Thomas spent two years raising money for El Norte but they consciously did not pursue film studios or television networks because, more than likely, studio executives would demand changes be made in either script, casting, or both. Gregory Nava and Thomas believe that much of what makes El Norte special would have been jeopardized if a major studio had been involved in the filmmaking process. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... A film studio is a controlled environment for the making of a film. ... A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ...

Financing for the film was provided by PBS's American Playhouse (50%) and the rest in presales. One such presale was made to England's Channel 4 (a public-service television station).^[11] Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... American Playhouse is a dramatic anthology television series presenting original movies on PBS. External links American Playhouse at The Internet Movie Database Categories: | | | | ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... It has been suggested that Channel Four Television Corporation be merged into this article or section. ... In the United Kingdom the term public service broadcasting (PSB) refers to broadcasting intended for the public benefit rather than for purely commercial concerns. ...

Magical realism

Parts of El Norte provide an example of how Latin American magical realism, primarily found in novels, has been depicted in a theatrical film.^[12] Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... Magic Realism (or Magical Realism) is an illustrative or literary technique in which the laws of cause and effect seem not quite to apply in otherwise real world situations. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ...

Indigenous view and bigotry

El Norte portrays an Amerindian point-of-view and this is exemplified by the religion they follow. An example is when Rosa Xuncax sings the eulogy at the funeral of her father and its Native American Maya religious theme. A traditional Maya belief is that life has a cyclical nature.^[13] Rosa sings in her Maya tongue: Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A Hupa man. ... The indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the ancient and modern Maya vary greatly over space and time, but certain common features can be discerned, all of which are consistent with other Mesoamerican religions. ... Page 9 of the Dresden Codex showing the classic Maya language written in Mayan hieroglyphs (from the 1880 Förstermann edition) The Mayan languages (alternatively: Maya languages)[1] form a language family spoken in Mesoamerica and northern Central America. ...

We came only to sleep, to dream. All things are lent to us. We are only on earth in passing.

Throughout El Norte young Rosa and Enrique and their family are subjected to many epithets, hatred, and bigotry due to their indigenous heritage. When the father Arturo inadvertently kills a soldier, for example, a mestizo screams: An epithet (Greek - επιθετον and Latin - epitheton; literally meaning imposed) is a descriptive word or phrase. ... A bigot is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles, or identities differing from his or her own. ... A Hupa man. ... Cultural heritage (national heritage or just heritage) is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. ... This article is about a military rank. ... Mestizo (Portuguese, Mestiço; French, Métis: from Late Latin mixticius, from Latin mixtus, past participle of miscere, to mix) is a term of Spanish origin used to designate people of mixed European and indigenous non-European ancestry. ...

That bastard Indian killed Puma.

And, when Rosa and Enrique arrive in Mexico on a bus the Mexican driver screams at the timid Maya youngsters:

We have arrived to Tijuana you damn Indians.

An actor speaks

David Villalpando, the actor who played Enrique, gave an interview to Lear Media about what the film meant to him and why he believes the film is important. Villalpando said: David Villalpando (born January 2, 1959 in Mexico City, D.F.) is a Mexican actor, whose break out role was in the film El Norte (1983). ...

Fifteen years ago, the indigenous people in Guatemala were living a cruel extermination that forced them to flee toward Mexico and the United States. This exodus lasted a decade and half a million Guatemalans made the journey to America seeking for asylum and refuge...El Norte became a powerful fighting element, grew an audience, searched audiences, and left the theatres to tell its truth.^[14]

Right of asylum (or political asylum) is an ancient judicial notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or Church sanctuaries (as in medieval times). ...

Production

Gregory Nava had to re-create a Mexican village in California when he and his production crew were, more or less, kicked out of Mexico during the film shoot. Nava said, "We were filming in Mexico during the end of the José López Portillo presidency, one of the last of the old-fashioned caciques to rule Mexico. One day, men with machine guns took over the set. I had guns pointed at my head. We were forced to shut down production, bribe our way out of the country, fight to get our costumes back, and start shooting again in California."^[15] Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... José López Portillo y Pacheco (June 16, 1920 – February 17, 2004) was the President of Mexico from 1976 to 1982. ... Caudillo is a Spanish (caudilho in Portuguese) word usually used to designate a political-military leader at the head of an authoritative power. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ...

Nava tells the story that, at one point, Mexican police kidnapped their accountant and held him for ransom, while, at the same time, his parents had to pose as tourists in order to smuggle exposed film out of the country in their suitcases.^[16] Accountant, or Qualified Accountant, or Professional Accountant, or Accountancy Practitioner, is a certified accountancy and financial expert in the jurisdiction of many countries. ... The term ransom refers to the practice of holding a prisoner to extort money or property extorted to secure their release, or to the sum of money involved. ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... These lollipops, above, were found to contain heroin when inspected by the DEA. Smuggling is illegal transport, in particular across a border. ...

Filming locations

The film was shot in Mexico and California. In Mexico: Chiapas, Morelos, Mexico D.F., and Tijuana, Baja California. In California: San Diego, California and Los Angeles, California. Chiapas is a state in the southeast of Mexico. ... Morelos is one of the constituent states of Mexico. ... The Mexican Federal District, known in Spanish as Distrito Federal (D.F.), is an area within Mexico that is not part of any of the Mexican states, but an independent self-governing city-state and the seat of the Federal Government. ... Tijuana (Spanish [tixwana], English usually [ËŒtiːəˈwÉ‘nÉ™]), is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California and the seat of the municipality of Tijuana. ... Baja California (literally lower California in Spanish) is the northernmost state of Mexico. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Nickname: Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates: Country United States State California County San Diego Founded July 16, 1769 Incorporated March 27, 1850 Government  - Mayor Jerry Sanders  - City Attorney Michael Aguirre  - City Council Scott Peters Kevin Faulconer Toni Atkins Tony Young Brian Maienschein Donna Frye Jim Madaffer... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ...

Critical reception

Rosa Xuncax

The film was critically well received. When released Variety magazine described the film as the "first American independent epic."^[17] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Variety is a daily newspaper for the entertainment industry. ...

Critic Roger Ebert was pleased with Nava and Thomas's work and likened it to a classic film of yesteryear. He said, "El Norte tells their story with astonishing visual beauty, with unashamed melodrama, with anger leavened by hope. It is a Grapes of Wrath for our time."^[18] Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ... Poster for The Perils of Pauline (1914). ... The Grapes of Wrath is a 1940 film directed by John Ford. ...

In a scene where the characters cross into California by means of a rat-infested sewer tunnel and emerge to a view of San Diego, Commonweal critic Tom O'Brien wrote, "the scene sums up its rare strength."^[19] Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... A sewer is an artificial conduit or system of conduits used to remove sewage (human liquid waste) and to provide drainage. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney         City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders (R) Michael Aguirre Scott Peters Kevin...

Film critics Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat of the website Spirituality and Practice were touched by Nava and Thomas' story and the attention they give to the character's native roots. They wrote, "Nava's attention to details, particularly the aesthetic and religious beauty of Indian culture, and his sympathy for the protagonists' inner lives lift this story above its melodramatic moments and make the tale a memorable one."^[20] Spirituality and Practice is a website created by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. ...

Yet, some film reviewers objected to what they considered the film's overly melodramatic end. Poster for The Perils of Pauline (1914). ...

Enrique Xuncax

Vincent Canby, writing for The New York Times said, the film "[Nava is] about to make one of the most boldly original and satirical ... statements ever to be found in a film about the United States as a land of power as well as 'opportunity' until its arbitrarily tragic ending." However, Canby did find the acting top-rate and noted the realism they bring to their tasks. He said, "Mr. Nava does not patronize his 'little people.' This has something to do with the straight, unactorly quality of the performances, especially by Zaide Silvia Gutierrez as Rosa and David Villalpando as Enrique, two splendid Mexican actors."^[21] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – September 15, 2000) was an American film critic. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ... In general usage a tragedy is a play, movie or sometimes a real world event with a sad outcome. ...

Currently, the film has a 100% "Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes, based on five reviews.^[22] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Cast and ratings

• Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez as Rosa Xuncax
• David Villalpando as Enrique Xuncax
• Ernesto Gómez Cruz as Arturo Xuncax
• Lupe Ontiveros as Nacha
• Trinidad Silva as Monte Bravo
• Tony Plana as Carlos
• Diane Cary as Alice Harper
• Mike Gomez as Jaime

A motion picture rating system categorizes films with regard to suitability for children and/or adults in terms of issues such as sex, violence and profanity. ... British Board of Film Classification logo The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), originally British Board of Film Censors, is the organisation responsible for film and some video game classification and censorship within the United Kingdom. ... The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States and territories and instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America to rate a movie based on its content. ... Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez Publicity photo Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez is a Mexico born actress whose break out role was the 1984 film El Norte. ... David Villalpando (born January 2, 1959 in Mexico City, D.F.) is a Mexican actor, whose break out role was in the film El Norte (1983). ... Ernesto Gómez Cruz (Veracruz, 7 November 1933) is a prolific Mexican actor with more than 154 films. ... Lupe Ontiveros is a Mexican-American actress born Lupe Moreno on September 17, 1942, in El Paso, Texas. ... Actor Trinidad Silva Jr. ... Tony Plana (born April 19, 1954) is a Cuban American actor, born in Havana, Cuba. ... Actor Diane Cary has been featured in several TV shows. ... Mike Gomez (born April 18, 1951 in Dallas, Texas, USA) is an American actor. ...

Soundtrack

A soundtrack for the film was produced in France by Island/Phono-Gram. The album was produced by Gregory Nava and Danny Holloway. The CD features original music for the film by Los Folkloristas, Emil Richards, and Linda O'Brian. CD may stand for: Compact Disc Canadian Forces Decoration Cash Dispenser (at least used in Japan) CD LPMud Driver Centrum-Demokraterne (Centre Democrats of Denmark) Certificate of Deposit České Dráhy (Czech Railways) Chad (NATO country code) Chalmers Datorförening (computer club of the Chalmers University of Technology) a 1960s... Emil Richards is a percussionist who plays a variety of different percussive instruments. ...

It also features "Rosa's Song" sung by the actress Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez.^[23]

Releases

The film has been released in video on two separate occasions, with different video covers.

In DVD format it has been released in: Region 2 on June 15, 2002; Region 4; and Region 1.^[24] DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or, incorrectly, Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... DVD Regions Each DVD-Video disc contains one or more region codes, denoting the area(s) of the world in which distribution and playback are intended. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... DVD Regions Each DVD-Video disc contains one or more region codes, denoting the area(s) of the world in which distribution and playback are intended. ... DVD Regions Each DVD-Video disc contains one or more region codes, denoting the area(s) of the world in which distribution and playback are intended. ...

Gallery of video and DVD covers

1980s video cover. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ...

1990s video cover. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ...

2002 DVD cover. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Awards

Wins

• Montréal World Film Festival: Grand Prix des Amériques, Gregory Nava; 1984.

Nominations The Montreal World Film Festival (Festival des Films du Monde - Montréal) is Montreals oldest current film festival. ... Gregory Nava publicity photo Gregory Nava, a third generation Mexican-American (born April 10, 1949 in San Diego, California) is a film director, producer and screenplay writer, of Mexican and Basque heritage. ...

• Academy Awards: Oscar; Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas; 1985.
• Writers Guild of America: WGA Award; Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen; Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas; 1985.

Other distinguishments Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... // The Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. ... The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the collective bargaining representative, or labor union, for writers in the motion picture and television industries in the United States. ...

• In 1995 the film was selected for preservation by the United States National Film Registry.

1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Film Registry is the registry of films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of Congress. ...

Quotes

• Mexican Bystander: Damn Indians I hope you both die.
• Don Ramón: You have to learn to talk like a Mexican. Tell me it's a hot day.

Enrique Xuncax: It's a hot day.

Don Ramón: No! You won't make it two miles past the border. "It's a fucking hot day." Mexicans are always saying fuck. Fuck this, fuck that. Now try it again.

Footnotes

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Seattle Weekly is the third most popular newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States, with a circulation of over 100,000. ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (131st in leap years). ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gregory Nava publicity photo Gregory Nava, a third generation Mexican-American (born April 10, 1949 in San Diego, California) is a film director, producer and screenplay writer, of Mexican and Basque heritage. ... Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Santa Fe New Mexican is a daily newspaper published in Santa Fe, New Mexico. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... July 24 is the 205th day (206th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 160 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (89th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... Amazon. ...

External links

• El Norte film review: Native-Americans are central to film's POV.
• El Norte film review: Christian POV.
• El Norte scholarly analysis by Hugo N. Santander at American University.