José María Castro Ibarra holds a BA in Ethnology from the National School of Anthropology and History (ENAH) and an MA in Anthropological Sciences from the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM). He has researched long-haul trucking in Mexico since 2012, exploring the cultural and labor world of truck drivers. In 2017, his study ‘A borde de carretera’ focused on ‘cachimbas’, roadside places vital for truckers, informal 24-hour eateries owned by women offering food, rest, socialization, and (illegal) drugs. Currently, he pursues a Ph.D. project at Leiden University, examining Petty Traders involved in low-end globalization and global goods channels from China to Mexico. Additionally, he works as a documentary film researcher. Highway nomads is his first full-length film as a director.
2023 FICM
2023 FECCH
Luz de Luna (Moonlight) became a truck driver after she escaped from a violent marriage. Along the way, she faces a world of labor exploitation and other forms of violence that, at times, make her consider quitting the job. On the edges of Mexican highways,…