Set in the colorful, seedy streets of the San Francisco district that bears its name, La MISSION is a story of redemption imbued with the curative power of Aztec tradition. Feared, yet respected, as the baddest Chicano on the block, Che (Benjamin Bratt), a reformed inmate and recovering alcoholic, resorts to violence and intimidation to get what he wants. A bus driver by day, Che lives for his beloved son, Jesse, his lifelong friends, and his passion for lowrider cars. Che and the “Mission Boyz” salvage junked cars, transforming them into classics.Che’s macho world is crushed when he discovers that Jesse’s been living a secret life. In a violent rage, Che pummels Jesse and throws him out of the house. Lena, an attractive neighbor and a force to be reckoned with, is a woman with a few secrets of her own. Mutual attraction percolates as Lena challenges Che to reconcile the life he thought he had.Sundance veteran Peter Bratt (Follow Me Home) returns with a powerful second feature. Propelled by commanding performances from Jeremy Ray Valdez as Jesse and Erika Alexander as Lena—and featuring an exceptional turn by Benjamin Bratt—La MISSION is a haunting story of healing and transformation: the healing of a broken man, of a father’s relationship with his son, and of a neighborhood struggling to break the chains of violence.
CAST
Benjamin Bratt, Erika Alexander, Jeremy Ray Valdez, Jesse Borrego, Talisa Soto Bratt
Peter Bratt - Peter Bratt's first encounter with the Sundance Film Festival was in 1996, when his well-received independent feature film, Follow Me Home, screened. He is back in 2009 with La MISSION, which stars his brother, actor Benjamin Bratt. Follow Me Home, Bratt's first film, explored race and identity from the multiple perspectives of Chicanos, African Americans, and Native Americans. The film earned Bratt the best director award at the American Indian Film Festival.
Screenings:
Mon. Jan 19 8:30 p.m. - LAMIS19PN Prospector Square Theatre, Park City
Wed. Jan 21 2:30 p.m. - LAMIS21LA Library Center Theatre, Park City
Fri. Jan 23 noon - LAMIS23ED Egyptian Theatre, Park City
Sat. Jan 24 9:45 p.m. - LAMIS24BN Broadway Centre Cinemas V, SLC
