Writer/director Christopher Zalla authored and helms the contemporary post-noir thriller Blood of My Blood. The film concerns Juan, a ruthless and conniving ex-career criminal who tries to escape his past by hopping a truck transporting illegal immigrants from Mexico to the Big Apple. Over the course of his journey, Juan meets and befriends Pedro, a sweet but illiterate Puebla native -- long-estranged from his father, Diego -- who harbors a strong desire to make contact with his dad and holds a
letter of introduction from his mother to help him accomplish his goal. The naďve Pedro falls into the clutches of the sociopathic Juan, who promptly wins his confidence, then rips off all of his belongings during the night and attempts to steal his identity, plotting to fallaciously present himself to Diego as the gentleman's son. The film then cross-cuts between the story of each man (one desperate, the other slick and arrogant) as they each seek out food and shelter and comb the city for the man in whom they see a chance to establish a secure future. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
Christopher Zalla, a graduate of the film program at Columbia University, makes an impressive debut with this suspense feature about illegal immigrants and stolen identity.
[Director Christopher] Zalla may have provided his characters with a overly constructed tragedy, but his eye for city life and his seeming gift with actors promises astute, generous work to come.
Shot mainly in New York's meanest, murkiest streets, Sangre de Mi Sangre, is intricately and imaginatively structured, building to a powerful climax of complex irony.
Eventually, of course, all the characters will have to collide for a final reckoning, but that moment strains credulity to the breaking point and sabotages the entire enterprise
There's nothing easy about Christopher Zalla's very good film, a story that will get under your skin in its depiction of the dark underbelly of the American dream.
A moving story combined with first rate acting and a great screenplay by a new, but determined, writer/director make this an indie film not to be missed. Modern film noir from the streets of Mexico to the streets of America.
Zalla utilizes both the dark back streets of New York and the dark nature of some humans to weave an intoxicating tale of stolen identity and pilfered emotions.
Sangre De Mi Sangre could have done without a few plot coincidences and the film's relentless mean street look seems studied at times. But the film's behavioral honesty pumps vibrant, undeniable life through every frame.
Stands out from the recent wave of movies about the plight of immigrants coming to the United States...because it's more suspenseful than heart-tugging.
I hate when Americans do this type of movies and try to label them "Mexican", especially when it's such crap.
An immigrant movie in which is really easy to not sympathize with the terrible characters. Basically, every character in this film is either an asshole or impossibly stupid. And then you got "Magda", one of
the most unlikable people ever to be put on screen. She's supposed to be, but it was definitely too much. Besides, who talks like that?
SANGRE DE MI SANGRE, or PADRE NUESTRO, had a good concept but it was lost to poor writing and the awful cast. The fact that actors like Jesús Ochoa, Ernesto Derbez and Armando Hernández still get parts puzzles me.
I don't see this film appealing to any Latin filmgoer, or at least Mexicans. The only good thing about this film is its interesting, minimalist score.
This film filled me with disappointment mainly becasue the story in gerenal had a very depressing and dark tone to it. There was no real hero/heroine, no redemdtion for the those who were wronged and no real closure to the lives of the characters. The story is about a young immigrant who sneaks himself into New York
with the hopes of finding his father. Unfortuanly he arrives there with no money and no possessions as his belongings were stolen by another immigrant who planned to pose as the young man and claim whatever riches his father may have. The film moves from on disheartening event to another and there is no way you can walk away from this film feeling good.
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