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"An exquisite study of a rapidly expanding cemetery at the center of Mexico's drug wars." - Variety
In Mexico, the war on drugs has become a literal war, resulting in the bloodiest conflict since the Mexican Revolution. Nearly 35,000 people have been killed since 2007, and the narco-cemetery at the heart of it all has grown to obscene dimensions - a mighty necropolis peppered with extravagant mausoleums belonging to the cartel bosses, standing next to the simple graves of the crime-lords' victims.
Almost completely dialogue-free, El Velador follows one of the cemetery's nightwatchmen as he makes his rounds. A story told in visual asides, overheard fragments of the unfolding war and the echoing sounds of construction workers and the bereaved, El Velador is a tranquil meditation on violence and death in a place where the power struggles and brutality all end in dust.
D Natalia Almada P Natalia Almada, Laurence Ansquer, Charlotte Uzu WS Doc & Film L Spanish w/English subtitles TD HD Cam/2011