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What We Leave Behind

Play trailer Poster for What We Leave Behind 2022 1h 11m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
At the age of 89, Julián takes one last bus ride to El Paso, Texas, to visit his daughters and their children -- a lengthy trip he has made without fail every month for decades. After returning to rural Mexico, he quietly starts building a house in the empty lot next to his home. In the absence of his physical visits, can this new house bridge the distance between his loved ones? Over several years, director Iliana Sosa films her grandfather's work, gently sifting through Julián's previously unspoken memories brought up by the construction project and revealing both the daily pragmatism and poetry of his life. WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND unfolds as a love letter to her grandfather, as well as an intimate exploration of her own relationship with him and his homeland.

Critics Reviews

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Claudia Puig FilmWeek (LAist) 10/14/2022
This is a beautiful doc. It unfolds in a really deliberate and emotionally resonant way. Go to Full Review Lisa Kennedy New York Times 09/29/2022
“What We Leave Behind” insists upon power in stillness, and the poignancy in staying — and leaving. Go to Full Review Sheri Linden The Hollywood Reporter 09/29/2022
A poetic meditation on family, mortality, tradition and the U.S.-Mexico border. Go to Full Review Martha K. Baker KDHX (St. Louis) 10/06/2022
Filmmaker Iliana Sosa created a poignant portrait of one old man in What We Leave Behind. The old man is Sosa's grandfather. Go to Full Review Sabrina McFarland Common Sense Media 10/04/2022
4/5
They speak about the role of family, hard work, and getting older, all engaging subjects sure to spark meaningful discussions. Go to Full Review Liam Lacey Original Cin 09/29/2022
A
A documentary that treats the passage of time, and human life, with tenderness and respectful attention. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Marc O Sep 23 Poignant story which took me back to my great grandfather Pablo Escobar in Presidio,TX when I was a 7 year old child. He sat outside his humble casita in a chair outside with his straw cowboy hat and looked beyond everything to tell us stories of years gone by. The most fascinating were stories about riding with Ponch Villa and their adventures. He apparently was a legend and he was my great grandfather. See more Shaun T Apr 27 I really valued the film’s slow pace and how, at times, so much was communicated without a word being spoken. See more Tammie S Jan 4 This story was beautifully written and portrayed. Very enlightening! See more Erick I 12/13/2024 I was transported in time with everything that was captured on this documentary, from the surroundings up to the lifestyle. I recalled the happiest memories from my childhood throughout this journey, I laughed and cried at the same time. See more Simon S 04/01/2024 What we leave behind is a poetic journey through monotonous yet rich moments of a grandfather's life. A struggle against time to leave behind a structure built with love, hope and faith. This visual gem offers us a reminder of what we will all leave behind someday: a legacy, the struggles, our loved ones and a void in space and time. The visual images are framed by poetic vignettes pointing us to the end. Death returns like the pestering flies to remind us of the inevitable end of life, leaving us with what we've captured with our hearts and minds. See more Ana R 02/12/2024 Made me cry.. loved it. See more Read all reviews
What We Leave Behind

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Iliana Sosa

Director

Isidore Bethel

Writer

Iliana Sosa

Writer

Emma D. Miller

Producer

Iliana Sosa

Producer

Judy Phu

Cinematographer

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What We Leave Behind

What We Leave Behind (2022) What We Leave Behind (2022) What We Leave Behind (2022) What We Leave Behind (2022) What We Leave Behind (2022) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis At the age of 89, Julián takes one last bus ride to El Paso, Texas, to visit his daughters and their children -- a lengthy trip he has made without fail every month for decades. After returning to rural Mexico, he quietly starts building a house in the empty lot next to his home. In the absence of his physical visits, can this new house bridge the distance between his loved ones? Over several years, director Iliana Sosa films her grandfather's work, gently sifting through Julián's previously unspoken memories brought up by the construction project and revealing both the daily pragmatism and poetry of his life. WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND unfolds as a love letter to her grandfather, as well as an intimate exploration of her own relationship with him and his homeland.
Director
Iliana Sosa
Producer
Emma D. Miller, Iliana Sosa
Screenwriter
Isidore Bethel, Iliana Sosa
Production Co
Borderchild Productions
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 30, 2022
Runtime
1h 11m