Heli

Amat Escalante won Best Director at Cannes 2013 for his visceral Mexican crime drama about an honest man drawn into a dispute with a vicious local drugs cartel.

Heli lives an honest life with his wife, baby, father and 12-year-old sister in a crime-ridden Mexican border town. His simple world is shattered once his sister begins a relationship with a heedless police cadet, who furtively stashes some drugs in their home, incurring the unforgiving wrath of the local cartel.

Amat Escalante’s frighteningly credible third feature caused a stir at Cannes Film Festival 2013, upsetting some with its unflinching scenes of graphic violence, but also rewarding Escalante with a Best Director prize. His dispassionate and precise approach to the material, and astute direction of a largely non-professional cast, results in unforgettably visceral experience - but one not without heart and hope.