Sin Cielo

A coming of age narrative based on a love story that is tragically interrupted. Great performances!

From the opening scene to the end this film is a collection of great pictures. Just seeing the party with the camera down at the feet of the adults allows us to see the point of view of a child. As the story progresses there are surprises but all of them feel appropriate and have symmetry with this world. A talented writer and director and I want to see more!!!!!

"Sin Cielo" delves into the issues of kidnapping and trafficking of young girls. For the first half this is very much a story about two teenagers in Mexico and their blossoming romantic interests. The second half of the film has moments as devastating as "Mystic River", "Traffic" and "Gone Baby Gone".

The performances reek of authenticity with actors Sophia Santi, David Gurrola and Gia Grimm as standouts. Santi's performance as Josefa is a particular standout, with moments of devastation that echo Anna Magnani in "Open City" and Sean Penn in "Mystic River".

Writer/Director Jianna Maarten needs to expand this short into a feature.

"Sin Cielo" is a very good film that voices an important issue: the disappearance of a person and the value of life. It's made in a documentary style that makes its impact more powerful.

I've heard of the missing girls in Mexico but I didn't know much about it. This opened my eyes to a tragic issue that is still ongoing in Mexico. It's a heartbreaking situation, and it's important for these people's stories to be told.

In terms of production value and quality of storytelling, this is one of the best I've seen from this year's entries.