TRADE – WELCOME TO AMERICA

Screenplay: José Rivera
Based on the New York Times article “The girl next door” by: Peter Landesmann
Casting: Aleta Chapelle
Director of Photography: Daniel Gottschalk
Editing: Hansjörg Weissbrich
Production Design: Bert Capra
Costume Design: Carol Oditz
Make-up Artist: Deborah Larsen
Sound recording: Michael Becker

In Mexico City, two girls from very different background are kidnapped from a nationwidely operating sextraffickers' organisation. One of them is Veronica - a young Moldawian mother coming to America for being a au pair, the other is 13-year old Mexican girl Adriana who has been kidnapped in the middle of the street in broad daylight. As Adrianas 16-year old brother Jorge learns about the kidnapping, he starts searching for his beloved sister. He encounters Ray, an ex-cop from the US in desillusionment, who is also trying to find a young girl. The two men are starting a journey togehter in order to find Adriana, who is going to be auctioned online one of the following days.

Kevin Kline (Ray), Cesar Ramos (Jorge), Paulina Gaitan (Adriana), Alicia Bachleda-Curus (Veronica), Guillermo Ivan (Alejandro), Christian Vazquez (Moncho), Marco Perez (Manuel), Natalia Traven (Lupe), Linda Emond (Patty Sheridan), Zack Ward (Alex Green), Kate del Castillo (Laura), Tim Reid (Hank Jefferson), Pasha D. Lychhnikoff (Vadim Youchenko), Natalia Traven (Lupe), Guillermo Iván (Alejandro), José Sefami (Don Victor)

Awards:
Bernhard Wicki Prize 2007

Festivals:
World premiere January 2007 Sundance Film Festival, UN Benefit Premiere in New York, Berlinale in the section “German Cinema”, Europa Cinema Viareggio 2008, International Film Festival Shanghai 2008, Filmfest Munich 2007, German Film Festival in Buenos Aires

FilmFernsehFonds Bayern