Off the Road
(Fuera del camino)
José Permar | Documentary, Musical
2020 | 78 minutes | Mexico, United States
Each year, the slow-paced lifestyle on Mexico’s largest desert in Baja Peninsula is given a turbo boost by the Baja 1000, the largest off-road motorsport race in the world.
Synopsis
Each year, the slow-paced lifestyle on Mexico’s largest desert in Baja Peninsula is given a turbo boost by the Baja 1000, the largest off-road motorsport race in the world that takes place crossing the Mexican-US border.
In this modern-day western, José Permar tells a unique story about the border, complete with a commissioned soundtrack of epic corridos performed by a trio of colorful musicians.
The documentary follows Rigo, Davis, and Paco, three fans of this mechanical saga. They are looking for an opportunity to be a part of the race and escape the apparent monotony of their small communities. In their journey, the three men will find something more important than the race itself. They will discover their identity, pride, and sense of belonging to their hometowns.
Reviews
"Off the Road is not a documentary about an epic sport. It is, from beginning to end, a tale of the local heroes whose lives are unavoidably affected by Baja 1000." — Rebecca Wilson, Sounds and Colours
"Mexican filmmaker José Permar takes a shoestring budget and makes an ingenious and cinematic western style documentary set in the bone dry beauty of Mexico's largest desert region, The Baja. This is a story about a race, a group of musicians and a community clinging to both in order to survive." — Meredith Taylor, Filmuforia
Citation
Main credits
Permar, José (film director)
Permar, José (screenwriter)
Villanueva Arias, José Luis (film producer)
Other credits
Cinematography, Ernesto Trujillo; editor, Felipe Guerrero; music, Alberto Romero.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Anthropology
Culture + Identity
Economics + Social Class Issues
Latinx
Migration Studies
Music
North America
Race + Ethnicity
Sociology
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Visions du Réel - The Signis Interreligious Award
Atlanta Film Festival - Best Cinematography
Docs Jalisco - Audience Award
Guadalajara International Film Festival in LA
DOC NYC
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
DIRECTOR: José Permar
NATIONALITY: Mexico, United States
YEAR: 2020
GENRE: Documentary, Musical
LANGUAGE: Spanish
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
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