Juno Films Takes North America On Border Crossing Doc ‘The Caravan’ From Núria Clavero, Aitor Palacios

Matt Grobar
·2 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Juno Films has acquired all U.S. and Canadian rights to The Caravan, the first documentary feature from directors Núria Clavero and Aitor Palacios, which will have its North American premiere in International Competition at DOC NYC ahead of its release in theaters in late spring.

Co-produced by Cabal Films and Trueday Films, The Caravan humanizes the political debate around border control through the story of one family’s quest for a better life in the United States. The camera follows pregnant Yuri, her partner Mike, and young son, Santi, as they flee Honduras, capturing the nuances of why they undertook this perilous trek. Though it documents just a few weeks in their journey, The Caravan sheds light on why so many others share their dream of coming to the U.S. and building a better life.

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The deal was negotiated between producer Laura Collado for Trueday Films and Juno Films CEO Elizabeth Sheldon, who stated that “Nuria and Aitors’ film reminds viewers that for so many of those who are crossing the Southern border, their primary motive is for a better life for their children. The film puts names and faces that all viewers will recognize from the stories of how their great grandparents, grandparents or parents came to America in pursuit of political stability and economic opportunity.”

In a joint statement, Clavero, Palacios and Collado emphasized the need to “understand that whilst migration is a choice, it is not an easy one to make.” The trio noted that those who migrate “are often trading intangible things, such as their own culture and sense of belonging for more crucial and pressing things: their physical safety and better opportunities for future generations.

“Migration has and will always exist,” continued the trio, but “what is unique about the kind of organized migration that the caravans represent, is that turns the sum of personal stories and dreams into a political act. The constant and growing waves of people trying to migrate north from Central America is a consequence of the historical inequalities of the region, where a small elite control resources, wealth and government whilst the majority of the population lives in a subsistence economy. Such a status quo has often been promoted by the United States backyard policy that saw any attempt of social reform in those countries as a threat to their political and economic interests.”

Boutique distributor Juno Films most recently announced its acquisition of Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Traveled, another film playing the upcoming DOC NYC. Known for such critically acclaimed releases as The Most Beautiful Boy in the World and What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael, the company has more recently put out titles including Lasse Hallstrom’s Hilma and the Gaelic comedy Róise & Frank.

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