What We Leave Behind

2022

1 hr. 11 min.

Documentary

List

100%

9 Reviews

Tomatometer

91%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

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.

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Simon S

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.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

Full Review

Ana R

Made me cry.. loved it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/24

Full Review

Emily

A love letter to Mexican families everywhere. We cry with you because we know the pain. However you're not alone. Even in the next life. This quite literally the American gothic in Mexican terms. Just beautiful.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/01/23

Full Review

elizabeth p

I watched it with my parents and we enjoyed it very much! It showed the realities of the older generation that raised us, who worked hard to leave their families in a better living environment. It was such a touching story, and it really felt as if we, the viewer, were part of the family.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/08/23

Full Review

Arturo C

It makes you reflect life. Brings all these thoughts about the meaning of life. This is a beautiful documentary.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Erica C

Me gusto mucho, es una pelicula sencilla pero me hizo sentir muchos sentimientos al recordar lo que era vivir en Mexico y lo bonito que es…desde el principio de la pelicula senti tan bonito.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/13/22

Full Review

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

This is a beautiful doc. It unfolds in a really deliberate and emotionally resonant way.

Oct 14, 2022

Full Review

Lisa Kennedy

New York Times

“What We Leave Behind” insists upon power in stillness, and the poignancy in staying — and leaving.

Sep 29, 2022

Full Review

Sheri Linden

Hollywood Reporter

A poetic meditation on family, mortality, tradition and the U.S.-Mexico border.

Sep 29, 2022

Full Review

Martha K. Baker

KDHX (St. Louis)

Filmmaker Iliana Sosa created a poignant portrait of one old man in What We Leave Behind. The old man is Sosa's grandfather.

Oct 6, 2022

Full Review

Sabrina McFarland

Common Sense Media

They speak about the role of family, hard work, and getting older, all engaging subjects sure to spark meaningful discussions.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 4, 2022

Full Review

Liam Lacey

Original Cin

A documentary that treats the passage of time, and human life, with tenderness and respectful attention.

Rated: A

Sep 29, 2022

Full Review

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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
Screenwriter: Isidore Bethel, Iliana Sosa
Production Co: Borderchild Productions
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Spanish
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 30, 2022

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