La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus

Play trailer

2:28

La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus

2012

1h 12m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

22 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Drivers take decommissioned school buses to Guatemala, where they are repaired, repainted and reused as transportation for workers.

Critics Consensus

La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus ushers viewers onto a familiar vehicle to take them on an illuminating and emotionally affecting journey.

Read Critics Reviews

Ela Bittencourt

Guernica

Kendall makes his documentary memorable by resisting the urge to give crime center stage. Instead he focuses on the lives being quietly and doggedly built, even if at a great risk.

Aug 8, 2018

Full Review

Guy Lodge

Observer (UK)

I's well worth flagging down.

Dec 30, 2013

Full Review

Michael Phillips

Chicago Tribune

It's well worth seeing.

Rated: 3.5/4

Nov 1, 2013

Full Review

MaryAnn Johanson

Flick Filosopher

Follow a humble yellow school bus as it is transformed into something joyous and defiant. It's like discovering that your grandma has another life as a secret agent.

Apr 3, 2014

Full Review

Jamie S. Rich

Oregonian

"La Camioneta" is a fascinating tale of determined individuals, and witnessing the transformation of the familiar into something new and useful is inspiring.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 6, 2014

Full Review

Scott Wold

Paste Magazine

La Camioneta wrings an extraordinary amount of humanity and geopolitical insight from its subject.

Rated: 9/10

Nov 8, 2013

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Member

The tale of the after-life of an American school bus segues a bit awkwardly into a broader review of the danger of bus driving in Guatemala and then back again to the more specific. All good stuff, just mismatched. I also felt I was left hanging after being told in the movie that American school buses are purchased for use in Guatemala and Africa but with nothing further mentioned of Africa. I'd like to have seen, perhaps, parallel tales of two buses.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

What happened to those old yellow and black school buses you used to ride in? Director Mark Kendall wants to show you in this fascinating film that opens viewers to a part of Guatemala they probably never knew about.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

elias s

Really? A documentary about a bus? Yup. And it works (the bus AND the film). It's short (71 minutes), but sweet. Mark Kendall produced, directed, photographed and edited this smartly subdued look at the yellow connection between Pennsylvania and Guatemala. The journey of an aging American school bus from auction to action, with a lot of human interest, and a brightly colored paint job, in between. The film captures to daily struggle of the 1,000 or so camioneta drivers to avoid death for failing to pay the extortion fees demanded by the local gangs. The score by Todd (billed by his first initial in the credits) Griffin showcases an incredibly talented musician. The spark plugs are firing beautifully in this fascinating documentary.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

'La Camioneta'. An eye-opening look into the violent, high stakes life of a bus driver in Guatemala, which is so jarringly far-flung from what you'd expect. Surprisingly philosophical too!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Mark Kendall

Director

Domingo Lastor

Actor

Rafael Gonzáles

Producer

Mark Kendall

Producer

Esther Robinson

Executive Producer

Mark Kendall

Cinematographer

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus: Teaser Trailer

2:28

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Drivers take decommissioned school buses to Guatemala, where they are repaired, repainted and reused as transportation for workers.

Director: Mark Kendall
Producer: Rafael Gonzáles, Mark Kendall
Production Co: Follow Your Nose Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 20, 2017
Runtime: 1h 12m

Most Popular at Home Now