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La Sierra

Play trailer Poster for La Sierra 2005 1h 35m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
La Sierra is the most violent barrio in one of South America's most violent cities, Medellín, Colombia. Like the nation itself, the neighborhood exists in a state of perpetual civil war, with the cocaine trade an active participant. As the ranks of rival gangs are killed off, their members grow ever younger. Edison, 22, is the old man on the block, a father of six. Jesus, 19, can feel death calling him. Cielo, 17, is already a widow. This acclaimed documentary chronicles one year in their lives.

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La Sierra

Critics Reviews

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Jeannette Catsoulis New York Times 11/09/2005
4/5
This courageous documentary takes viewers to a small hillside community in Medellín where an illegal right-wing paramilitary group holds power. Go to Full Review Joshua Land Village Voice 11/08/2005
Eschewing both cool detachment and exploitative sentimentality, Dalton and Martinez find the ideal emotional distance from their subjects, depicting La Sierra as a sociological nightmare, while never letting us forget that real people actually live there. Go to Full Review Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone TheMovieChicks.com 03/09/2006
3.5/5
An eye-opening documentary that just lays the truth out there without making any judgments about the way these people live. Go to Full Review Brian Gibson Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Alberta) 01/26/2006
This is no well-meaning, Western-interventionist Born Into Barrios with a sweet ending. . . . La Sierra is devastating, mournful, and unshakeable. Go to Full Review Donald J. Levit ReelTalk Movie Reviews 10/22/2005
A quality documentary by courageous filmmakers. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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10/02/2012 Absolutely brilliant and insightful documentary about life in a barrio outside Medellin, Colombia in 2003. The filmmakers put their own lives at risk to make this incredible video which unflinchingly, yet compassionately, examines the lives of three young people who seek their own personal salvations through sex, drugs, and violence - all the while working to preserve their humanity. I cannot recommend this documentary highly enough. See more 12/19/2011 Seen in college, verry good documentary! See more 10/31/2011 sad but interesting doc See more 10/20/2009 Three stories of joung Colombians who struggle with inequality and violence... a sad depiction but a portrait of how much guerrillas and factions have changed the way we trust government and politics. Good documentary See more 01/28/2009 Documental que se adentra en las comunas de Medellin muy arriesgado por cierto See more 12/01/2008 Some Munoz in it. lol, so it sayss. Havnt seen it. See more Read all reviews
La Sierra

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Cast & Crew

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Scott Dalton

Director

Margarita Martínez

Director

Scott Dalton

Writer

Margarita Martínez

Writer

Scott Dalton

Producer

Margarita Martínez

Producer

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La Sierra

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Movie Info

Synopsis La Sierra is the most violent barrio in one of South America's most violent cities, Medellín, Colombia. Like the nation itself, the neighborhood exists in a state of perpetual civil war, with the cocaine trade an active participant. As the ranks of rival gangs are killed off, their members grow ever younger. Edison, 22, is the old man on the block, a father of six. Jesus, 19, can feel death calling him. Cielo, 17, is already a widow. This acclaimed documentary chronicles one year in their lives.
Director
Scott Dalton, Margarita Martínez
Producer
Scott Dalton, Margarita Martínez
Screenwriter
Scott Dalton, Margarita Martínez
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 10, 2005, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 26, 2016
Runtime
1h 35m
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