“Don’t ask those questions in public. You don’t know who’s listening.” Kino Lorber has unveiled an official US trailer for an indie mother drama from Mexico titled Identifying Features, also known as Sin Señas Particulares (No Particular Signs) in Spanish. And the German title is Was Geschah mit Bus 670?, which just translates to What Happened to Bus 670?. The film follows Mercedes Hernandez as a mother who travels across Mexico in search for her son who authorities say died while trying to cross the border into the United States. “From this simple but urgent premise, director Fernanda Valadez has crafted a lyrical, suspenseful slow burn, equally constructed of moments of beauty and horror, and which leads to a startling, shattering conclusion. Winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Audience and Screenplay Awards at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.” This also stars David Illescas, Juan Jesús Varela, Ana Laura Rodríguez, Laura Elena Ibarra, and Xicoténcatl Ulloa. This looks like very powerful cinematic storytelling indeed.
Here’s the official US trailer (+ posters) for Fernanda Valadez’s Identifying Features, from YouTube:
Middle-aged Magdalena (Mercedes Hernandez) has lost contact with her son after he took off with a friend from their town of Guanajuato to cross the border into the U.S., hopeful to find work. Desperate to find out what happened to him—and to know whether or not he’s even alive—she embarks on an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous journey to discover the truth. At the same time, a young man named Miguel (David Illescas) has returned to Mexico after being deported from the U.S., and eventually his path converges with Magdalena’s. Identifying Features is directed by Mexican filmmaker Fernanda Valadez, making her feature directorial debut after a few short films previously. The screenplay is written by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez. This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and also played at the San Sebastian Film Festival. Kino Lorber will release Valadez’s Identifying Features in select US theaters + “virtual cinemas” starting January 22nd, 2021 this winter. For info, visit their site.
