Synopsis
Directors: Alexandra Vasquez, Sam Osborn
Producers: James Lawler, Luis A. Miranda, Jr., Julia Pontecorvo
U.S., 105 min
In the competitive world of high school mariachi, South Texas’s border towns offer the best and the brightest. But who is the best of the best? In this vibrant and affecting underdog story, co-directors Alexandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn track the students of Edinburg North High School as they go for the gold, singing, strumming, and trumpeting their hearts out. While the team has won plenty of trophies in the past under the guidance of dedicated Coach Abel Acuña, this year’s varsity group is a bit shaky, what with new recruits and pandemic-related rustiness. Can they become State mariachi champions? As with films such as Mad Hot Ballroom and Spellbound, this lively documentary charmer is “nail-biting and heart-wrenching” (Indiewire), “well-crafted and intimate” (POV Magazine), and yet, so much more: a rich celebration of and moving tribute to Mexican American music, culture, and identity.
