Beyond the Borders

Newly crowned Oscar-winner Zoe Saldaña stars in the directorial debut of (husband) Marco Perego, a thoughtful drama on the subject of immigration executive-produced by Martin Scorsese. Saldaña plays Esmee, an exotic dancer who turns the tables on a client after he assaults her, killing him. However, because of his cartel connections, she is forced to flee for her life, leaving Mexico to illegally cross into the U.S. Meanwhile, rookie ICE agent Shipp (Garrett Hedlund), not yet hardened in the job, finds himself personally affected by the stories of those he encounters in his line of work. His sympathy is deepened by witnessing the casual, virulent racism of his new partner, Dobbins (Chris Coy), and the beginning of a relationship with schoolteacher Yadira (Adria Arjona). As Esmee’s situation moves from bad to worse, the two are fated to meet in this timely and moving film.