Synopsis
The film follows Felipe, an undocumented Mexican immigrant, who has reached a crossroads: after 16 years in Brooklyn, working three low-paying jobs and sending the bulk of his earnings to his wife and children in Mexico, he's decided to return home to the family he hasn't seen in almost two decades. But when he informs them of his plans, he discovers that they've squandered the money, are deeply in debt and don’t want him to return. They need him to stay in the U.S. and continue to earn.
Shot over two years in the heart of Brooklyn’s immigrant community, I’m Leaving Now is a searing and intimate portrait of one undocumented worker on the margins. The film brings a warm humanity to one of the most pressing political issues of our time, without sentimentalizing or trivializing its subject. In allowing the rhythms, emotions and sounds of Felipe’s day-to-day life to drive the story, Cordero and Croda open an impressionistic, cinematic window onto a life that might otherwise remain unseen.
Reviews
"Poignant... An unvarnished look at the life of a man supporting the family he left behind in Mexico."
- The New York Times
"Cordero and Croda's doc manages to give humanity to the immigration story by allowing it to encompass complex emotions as well as economic and political realities."
- POV Magazine
"A small gem of a film."
- Unseen Films
"A touching film and full of hope."
- Mexico.com
Press Materials
High Resolution Stills
Press Assets
Press Release
Where to watch
Playdates
Sept 6-12: Maysles Documentary Center - New York, NY
Sep 13-19: Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL
Sep 21 & 23: AFI Silver Theater - Silver Spring, MD
Sep 26: Suns Cinema - Washington, DC
Sep 29 & Oct 2: Cinema Lamont - Detroit, MI
Sep 30 & Oct 5: a/perture cinema - Winston-Salem, NC
Sep 13-19: Facets Cinematheque - Chicago, IL
Sep 21 & 23: AFI Silver Theater - Silver Spring, MD
Sep 26: Suns Cinema - Washington, DC
Sep 29 & Oct 2: Cinema Lamont - Detroit, MI
Sep 30 & Oct 5: a/perture cinema - Winston-Salem, NC
Festivals & Awards
Winner - Jury Award - DOCS[MX]
Official Selection - HotDocs 2018
Official Selection - DOC NYC
Special Jury Mention – Morelia International Film Festival, 2018