01
THE FILM
Director's statement
"Límite" is my creative reaction to a real event.
On the evening of November 18, 2013, a 16-year-old boy from Mexico attempted to enter the United States with two bottles of unidentified liquid. When questioned by the U.S. border patrol, he claimed it was apple juice. Suspecting the true contents, the agents demanded he prove it was apple juice. One of the agents made a motion with her hand.
“Drink it.”
This story reminded me of my own teenage experiences. Growing up in a poor country with a lot of crime and corruption, I know first-hand the pressures at play for a teenager in that kind of environment. I thought of the many times I got myself into more trouble than I could handle.
I also recalled the roles adults played in my life and my desire to prove them wrong. Luckily, no one dared me to a deadly game of chicken, as I likely would have accepted.
I felt compelled to tell this story, because I knew that teenager could have been me. Thank you for being here and for helping me share this story with the world.
-George Nicholas
02
THE CHALLENGES
Bringing the film to life
Being a foreigner and shooting this film on location in Tijuana presented many challenges, but also opportunities. I was conscious that we were operating in the context of a different culture and that required extra care and consideration.
Thankfully, we found brilliant Mexican actors who worked with me on the translation of the screenplay and brought the authenticity we needed by making the dialogue their own. We assembled an international crew—our director of photography is from Peru; our production designer, casting director, make-up and costume designers, as well as associate producers are from Mexico; our first camera assistant is from Poland; and our producer, composer, editor and sound designer are from Bulgaria. Everyone else on the production was a local hire from Tijuana. This mix of cultures enriched the project by bringing a global sensibility to an international topic.
We decided to film in Super 16mm for the added authenticity and heightened sense of realism. This came with its own set of challenges, including a leaking film magazine that destroyed some of our footage, but despite these setbacks, the added risk and effort paid off visually.
We had decided early on to pay very close attention to gender parity on our crew while still hiring the best people for the job. This sounded like a challenge but was merely an invitation to be conscious of our own biases. The women on our team include our production designer, producer, composer, make-up and costume designers, production manager, and many others below the line. Additionally, one of our supporting actors is a member of the LGBT+ community, as are three people on our crew.
We shot for 7 days +1 in Тijuana and post-production was completed in Bulgaria.
03
THE GOAL
What we hope to accomplish
While our film is small, at a length of 38 minutes, its ambitions are big. We hope to highlight the human side of stories that go unnoticed and to pay homage to victims of circumstance who are often dismissed as criminals deserving of their fate.
The film aims to contribute to the conversation started with the erection of the first border fence in 1918 and the founding of U.S. Border Patrol six years later. Today, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest law enforcement agency in the country. It has been called the most dangerous police force in the United States.
Millions of children are criminally exploited every year. Children who are coerced into criminal activity are often treated as criminals by government agencies rather than as victims of exploitation.