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The three burials of Melquiades Estrada - Barry Pepper, Julio Cedillo, Dwight Yoakam, Tommy Lee Jones

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Movie propaganda

A man is shot and quickly buried in the high desert of west Texas. The body is found and reburied in Van Horn's town cemetery. Pete Perkins, a local ranch foreman (Tommy Lee Jones) kidnaps a Border Patrolman and forces him to disinter the body. With his captive in tow and the body tied to a mule Pete undertakes a dangerous and quixotic journey into Mexico.

Guillermo Arriaga's dramatic and poetic script weaves past and present as it gradually reveals a great friendship, the lonely subterfuge of an illegal migrant's life, the cost of a promise made and kept, and culminates in the redemption of a callous if accidental killer. The US/Mexico border has long been plagued with violence and racism, and many of the events that unfold in The three burials of Melquiades Estrada are accurate depictions of the ongoing abuse of human rights in the region. But the film offers, in its conclusion, a pure form of contrition for wrongs committed, and a striking note of empathy for the lives so changed.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Mexico funeral rites death western cowboy illegal immigration burial

Persons of interest

Tommy Lee Jones .... Pete Perkins, Director
Barry Pepper .... Mike Norton
Julio Cedillo .... Melquiades Estrada
Dwight Yoakam .... Sheriff Belmont
January Jones .... Lou Ann Norton
Melissa Leo .... Rachel
Vanessa Bauche .... Mariana
Mel Rodriguez .... Captain Gomez
Cecilia Suárez .... Rosa
Ignacio Guadalupe .... Lucio
Irineo Alvarez .... Manuel
Guillermo Arriaga .... Juan
Sonny Carl Davis .... Kruger
Jesse De Luna .... Miller
Richard Dillard .... Jim
Jourdan Henderson .... Mary
Sean Hennigan .... Chuck
Richard Jones .... Bob
Victoria Jones .... Leticia
Gabriel Olds .... Ed
Terry Parks .... Neil
Gustavo Sánchez Parra .... Tomas
Brent Smiga .... Antonio
Barry Tubb .... AL
Guillermo Von Son .... Chino
Guillermo Arriaga .... Screenwriter

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The three burials of Melquiades Estrada official movie sites:

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The three burials of Melquiades Estrada film production notes
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Theatrical: Small * Medium * Large

Awards and film festivals:

Cannes Film Festival 2005: Won: Best Actor (Tommy Lee Jones), Best Screenplay (Guillermo Arriaga); Nominated: Golden Palm (Tommy Lee Jones)
Independent Spirit Awards 2006: Nominated: Best feature, Best screenplay (Guillermo Arriaga), Best supporting male (Barry Pepper), Best cinematography (Chris Menges)
Toronto International Film Festival 2005: Official selection

NB: English and Spanish languages with English language subtitles
Studios and distributors: