Documentary Film Explains Why Some Expats Are Moving to Mexico
Date: 10/29/2007Why are so many expats finding a more satisfying life in Mexico? That’s the question behind a documentary film produced by Caren Cross. And one that many of us living in Mexico ask ourselves all the time.
After a week-long vacation to San Miguel de Allende a few years ago, Caren started questioning the way she was living in the U.S. As she thought more and more about San Miguel, she realized this little town in Mexico was where she belonged. Within five months she had convinced her husband to sell their home and belongings and move to San Miguel.
They quickly settled into village life, but Caren couldn’t quit thinking about how her life had been transformed. Stress had disappeared. She felt freer and more engaged in daily activities than she ever had before. She spoke to other expats who felt the same way.
What is it about Mexico…and San Miguel in particular…that is so nurturing and magical, she wondered. What is it that people find here that was missing in their former lives? The idea for a documentary film was born.
Called Lost and Found in Mexico, Caren’s film profiles five expats who have made the move to San Miguel. Each of them has a reason for seeking a new life in Mexico….but those reasons resonate with the rest of us. Work stress, health issues, the loss of a loved one, normal life trauma…they let us in on the secrets that led them away from the U.S. and to San Miguel. Interspersed with these intimate vignettes, we see the color of daily life in San Miguel...its deep blue skies, warmly hued buildings, lively markets, and the glowing and hardworking local people.
Caren Cross had never made a documentary film in her life. But this one is top notch—and I’m not the only one who thinks so. Caren has been on the film festival circuit for the past six weeks. Her film has been accepted into 19 festivals and won awards at two major ones, including “best documentary” at the recent Boston Film Festival.
On Nov. 6, from 11 a.m.-noon, tune in to National Public Radio (NPR) and listen in as Caren Cross discusses her film on the Diane Rehm Show. She’ll be part of a panel discussing the phenomenon of U.S. citizens moving abroad.
If you’d like to order a copy of Caren’s film or find out more about it, see www.lostandfoundinmexico.com.
Best regards,
Suzan Haskins
Latin America Editorial Director
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