Highway Nomads
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, other truckers look for comfort, strength, and joy at truck stops and informal restaurants to continue their lives on the move.
Directors
Alberto Arnaut Estrada
Alberto Arnaut Estrada was born on February 3, 1987, in Mexico City. He graduated from the Social Communication program at the Metropolitan Autonomous University and pursued a Master’s degree in Documentary Film at the University Center for Cinematographic Studies (CUEC). His debut feature film, Hasta los dientes (2018), won the Ariel Award for Best Documentary Feature. His second directorial work, A plena luz (2022), had a global release on Netflix in December of last year. His short films Adrenalina (2021) and Infancias desterradas (2022) premiered at the last two editions of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM). Highway nomads is his third full-length film.
José María Castro Ibarra
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.