Why are so many people willing to risk so much to cross the American border? The award winning independent film, Sin Nombre, elects to show us, rather than tell us. It is a poetic portrait of a highly politicized issue. Filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga researched Honduran immigrants’ plight, riding cargo trains loaded with hope-filled sojourners. His resulting first feature is a beautiful and troubling trek towards the Rio Grande. It also immerses viewers in the brutal initiation rites of the Mara Salvatrucha. Started by Salvadorean immigrants in Los Angeles, Mara Salvatrucha’s network has now been exported (or rather deported) across Central America. Sin Nombre is a riveting story of escape and a haunting fight for survival. It is not recommended for the squeamish. But for those who want to get inside the immigrant experience, Sin Nombre puts a compelling face on those who often die ‘without a name.’