‘Desert Angel’, About Search For Stranded Migrants On U.S.-Mexico Border, Picked Up For Sales By French Outfit Java Films

EXCLUSIVE: French sales firm Java Films has picked up worldwide distribution rights to Desert Angel, the documentary about the search for stranded migrants, which played at festivals last year including Palm Springs, Santa Barbara and Brooklyn.

Directed by Vincent De Luca, the film chronicles the work of Rafael Larraenza, a volunteer rescuer who has spent the last 30 years risking his life searching for migrants lost along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Filmed in each southern border state over the course of five years, the documentary “captures Larraenza’s relentless commitment, the emotional stakes of each rescue, and the forces shaping one of the most dangerous migration corridors in the world. Alongside Larraenza’s missions, the film follows Indira, a mother who has spent years searching for her missing son Rodrigo. Her journey embodies the anguish of countless families navigating the uncertainties of crossing.”

The film is produced by Big Pup Film, Sons of Rigor, Sevana Films and Assembly Line Entertainment. Producers are Janek Ambros, David Bennett, Jillian Corsie, Dolores Delgado, Vincent De Luca, Ethan Downing, and Séverine Tibi.

Distribution negotiations were handled by Janek Ambros of Assembly Line Entertainment and Java Films, which is known for championing issue-driven documentaries with international appeal.

“Rafael’s work is raw, urgent, and deeply humane,” said filmmaker De Luca. “I was captivated by the Sisyphean task that Rafael has undertaken and how, against all odds, he continues to show up for people at their most vulnerable.”

Kathryn Bonnici of Java Films added: “Desert Angel is a powerful and necessary film, illuminating a crisis that affects countless families yet remains largely invisible. Vincent De Luca’s approach is both cinematic and compassionate, and we are proud to bring this story to audiences worldwide.”

Producer Janek Ambros, who’s 2024 film In the Summers won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, commented: “Vincent approaches this documentary in a true intimate vérité style which makes it stand out among other documentaries tackling the subject matter.”