UPON ENTRY

2022 / 74 min / color

Diego from Venezuela and Elena from Barcelona have made a major life decision. They’re moving to the United States to give their relationship and their professional careers a shot in the arm — they see America as a kind of promised land in terms of their work in the arts and their future together. They’ve gone through the visa process, packed up all their belongings, and are on their way; it seems like there’s nothing standing in the way of them settling into a new reality. But things get complicated when they arrive at the immigration area at the airport in New York and they’re taken into an inspection room. Inside the cramped space, Diego and Elena are questioned by border officials; a routine procedure turns into a gruelling interrogation lasting several hours, and they need to keep their cool. It’s not easy, especially when secrets that they clearly haven’t shared with each other start coming to light. Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vasquez’s film, though largely set in one small room, has a surprising intensity. This brilliantly written and performed story of what’s left unsaid in a relationship keeps audiences on the edge of their seats right until the end.

• Tallin IFF – FIPRESCI Prize
• Kolkata IFF – Best Film