The Border Crossed Us

While a large white surveillance balloon continuously floats above the small border town of La Joya, Texas, local police officers patrol the area in search of human smugglers. The region is littered with traces of people who have attempted to enter the U.S. by crossing the Rio Grande. But instead of arresting the immigrants, the officers gather intelligence on the smugglers and the smuggling bosses connected to Mexican cartels. With a visual style that alternates between intimate moments, meditative reflection, and thrilling sequences, the film tells the story of Chief Ramon Gonzalez, Detective Manuel Casas, and Officer Mayra Garza as they navigate the complexities of their existence at the border. Ironically, the area they patrol was once Mexican territory. Gradually, the interdependence between police and smuggler is revealed, a system trapped in an endless cycle in which the immigrant is perilously caught. Meanwhile, the human toll of border security begins to have personal consequences.