The Night Watchman

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The Night Watchman

2011

1h 12m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

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10 Reviews

55%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Martin watches over El Jardin, a large cemetery used by Mexico's most notorious drug lords.

Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

The artful compositions tend to make the subject matter seem vaguely unreal; Almada's true subject isn't the drug war itself but the apathy of outside spectators.

Jul 26, 2012

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

After this experience, everything else seems trivial. There's nothing like death to make further discussion unnecessary.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 25, 2012

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Stephen Holden

New York Times

Natalia Almada's eloquent documentary portrait of a sprawling graveyard in Culiacn, Mexico, in the northwestern state of Sinaloa

Rated: 4/5

Jun 13, 2012

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Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

El Velador (The Night Watchman, 2011) is organized around a phenomenon that encapsulates several aspects of contemporary Mexican life: elaborate mausoleums constructed to hold the remains of Mexican drug lords.

Rated: 7/10

Sep 5, 2023

Full Review

Elise Nakhnikian

House Next Door

This is observational filmmaking, with almost no talking heads or title cards or interviews with the subjects to clue us in on people's backstories or thoughts or feelings.

Jun 22, 2011

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Lisa Nesselson

Screen International

Despite its brief running time, enticing title and sociologically rich subject matter, The Night Watchman (El Velador) overstays its welcome.

Jun 7, 2011

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Audience Member

abstract narrative structure superimposed on a transparently direct problem

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Was really interested in topic but the most boring movie ever.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

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Audience Member

5 y 6 de julio a las 16:00, 18:00 y 20:00 hrs. en el Cineforo www. cineforo.udg.mx

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Mas pan con lo mismo.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Audience Member

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Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Natalia Almada

Director

Natalia Almada

Producer

Natalia Almada

Cinematographer

Natalia Almada

Film Editing

Julien Devaux

Film Editing

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Synopsis

Martin watches over El Jardin, a large cemetery used by Mexico's most notorious drug lords.

Director: Natalia Almada
Producer: Natalia Almada
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Spanish
Release Date (DVD): Sep 18, 2012
Runtime: 1h 12m