Tijuana Makes Me Happy

Tijuana Makes Me Happy
Directed by	Dylan Verrechia
Produced by	James Lefkowitz, Pablo Tendilla, Dylan Verrechia
Written by	Dylan Verrechia, James Lefkowitz
Starring	Pablo Tendilla Ortiz (Indio), Pablo Tendilla Rocha (Jhonny), Aidee Gonzalez (Rebecca), Darina Rabago Soto (Brianda)
Music by	Nortec Collective
Distributed by	25th Frame
Running time	79 min.
Language	Spanish

Tijuana Makes Me Happy is a 2006 film made in Tijuana, Mexico. It was directed by Dylan Verrechia, and co-written by James Lefkowitz, with original music by Nortec Collective. Variety described it as "slight but likable".^[1]

The movie has not yet had a general release [1], but has been screened at several movie festivals [2] and won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival,^[1][2] and is one of the four recipients of the 2007 SAFILM Indie Max Award [3].

Synopsis

Indio is a fourteen-year-old-boy who lives in Playas de Tijuana. Every day after school, Indio works at Sacramento’s ranch in the hopes of buying his own cockfighting rooster, el Gyro. When his dad refuses to help him buy the rooster, Indio starts selling empanadas and washing cars. One day, after he skips school to play with his friends, Indio meets Brianda, a young prostitute working in the red light district. As time passes, Indio learns what it means to make money, a tough journey that takes him cross the border, from Montes Olímpicos to San Diego. Greed however takes the best of Indio; neglecting his rooster, he fights el Gyro to win over the love of Brianda.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Leydon, Joe (28 January 2007). "Tijuana Makes Me Happy". Variety. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117932600.html?categoryid=31&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-07-10. 
2. ^ Vice, Jeff (28 January 2007). "Slamdance hands out its 'Sparky' film awards". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,655191930,00.html. Retrieved 2009-07-10. 

External links

• IMDB site
• Tijuana Makes Me Happy official site
• Tijuana Makes Me Happy at slamdance.com
• [4] The New York Times