The true story of an undocumented immigrant's journey to save the life of her ailing daughter, LA AMERICANA broadcast on over a dozen networks worldwide, including National Geographic Mundo, PBS World, and Al Jazeera English.
DOCUMENTARY FILM
RUN TIME: 65:00 (FEATURE) / 52:00 (BROADCAST)
BROADCAST ON:
When nine-year-old Carla suffers a life-threatening accident, her mother, Carmen, must leave her behind and make the dangerous and illegal journey from Bolivia to the U.S., where she hopes to earn enough to save her daughter’s life. Working in New York to support Carla’s medical needs, Carmen struggles in vain to legalize her immigration status, and wrestles with the prospect of never seeing her daughter again. Then, after six years of separation, Congress proposes “amnesty” legislation that could allow Carmen and Carla to be reunited at last...
Filmed across three countries in a captivating cinematic narrative, LA AMERICANA is Carmen's story, and the story of millions of undocumented immigrants who must leave their families behind to pursue the elusive American dream.
An intimate and powerful story, LA AMERICANA shows how immigration policy affects families on both sides of the border, putting a human face on this timely and controversial issue. Winner of multiple awards at film festivals across the country, La Americana is now being used as the centerpiece for a nationwide campaign to engage and inspire audiences to dialogue about immigrants’ rights and immigration reform.
"Expertly weaves the contemporary immigration debate into the tale of this unforgettable woman." - Filmmaker Magazine
"Devastating. Shows firsthand how the political affects the personal." - Sun Sentinel
"A moving and thought-provoking documentary." – The Lancet
"Smart... [has] a sense of weight and historical importance" - Austin Chronicle
Crew
DIRECTOR / PRODUCER
NICHOLAS BRUCKMAN is an award-winning director and the founder and CEO of People's Television, a production studio and creative agency that produces award-winning independent films as well as video storytelling for the world’s leading brands, foundations, and social movements. His feature documentary Not Going Quietly, executive produced by Mark and Jay Duplass and acquired by Hulu and Vice Media, premiered at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival where it won the Audience Award and Special Jury Prize, and was nominated for Best Documentary and Best Director of the year by the International Documentary Association. He previously produced the narrative feature film Valley of Saints, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.
CO-DIRECTOR
JOHN MATTIUZZI is an award-winning filmmaker and visual effects artist living and working in NYC. Currently he spends most of his time at Saatchi & Saatchi as an editor, colorist, motion, and VFX artist. When Mattiuzzi is free, he dedicates most of his time to his personal exploration in film. In 2013, he took home a student academy award for his short, The Compositor. He is currently working on a Sci-Fi feature based on his hometown, Pine Bush. You can see more of his personal work here on Vimeo. Contact: info@ma2z.com
CO-PRODUCER
JESSE C THOMAS manages the Digital Department of America's largest progressive Super PAC, NextGen Climate. The digital campaigns he has managed have attracted over 1,000,000 activists demanding political action on climate change. In addition to managing 2014's largest digital political advertising campaign, Jesse's team has produced political ads, PSAs, and short films including work with Oscar Nominated Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky racking up over 2 million YouTube channel views.