The immersive documentary short film, Red Sands, made its World Premiere at the SXSW Film & Television Festival 2025. This is the directorial debut from filmmaker Romina Cenisio, “who’s work examines the preservation of complex identities and subjects on the fringe of existence” as described in the press information. The filmmaker is the daughter of working-class immigrants from Southern Italy who found themselves as factory workers in Cd Juárez, and she was raised in El Paso among three cultures: Italian, Mexican and Texan.
This is a very interesting look at a part of El Paso I have not known about, despite meeting people from the region over the past few decades. Perhaps the people that I met from El Paso were not part of the off-road community that exists and has existed for multiple generations. It sure is a well-kept secret by those who are now in their elder years. Without a doubt, they ensured their offspring and relatives inherited the knowledge and love for the desert. They learned the traditions, enhanced the activities and continue to teach the younger generations about their roots to Mexico and indigenous people who lived on the land there.
Synopsis: On the notorious border of El Paso, Texas and Cd. Juárez, Mexico, an off-road culture thrives in the untamed dunes of the Chihuahuan desert. Red Sands is about the singular identity of an intergenerational community and the scene they’ve created in a desert known for its red hues. The Mexican American population finds solace through off-roading, using the desert dunes as a canvas to imprint their unique identities. The film follows characters from the past and present reflecting on their journey while headlines of danger loom overhead, threatening the very space in which their identity is rooted. Red Sands pulls the viewer into an exhilarating never-before-seen world, highlighting the resilience and beauty in a place most unknown to outsiders.
Filmmaker Romina Cenisio directed the film and co-wrote it with Andrea Cruz (Tribeca X and Gold Cannes Lion winner), who also edited the film along with Daniel Roman (multiple CLIO and Webby winner, Impossible Town). The cinematographer and producer is Sean Mattison (Emmy® award-winner, Descendant (Oscar shortlisted), “Tiger King” TV series, “Sour Grapes” Netflix, and Petro) who provides great shots of the desert in both daylight and nighttime, showing how the desert transforms and comes to life with people. The original score was by Aaron David Ross.
Running Time: 20 minutes – The film is and Official Selection of the Dallas Independent Film Festival from April 28 – May 1, 2025. For details and future times to view the film, visit www.redsandsfilm.com
Source: SXSW, redsandsfilm.com
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