Array Releasing Lands Iliana Sosa’s SXSW Winner “What We Leave Behind”

Films

Array Releasing Lands Iliana Sosa’s SXSW Winner “What We Leave Behind”

Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing has secured U.S., Canadian, U.K., Australian, and New Zealand rights to “What We Leave Behind.” From director Iliana Sosa, the doc made its world premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, where it took home two jury prizes, the Louis Black Lone Star Award and the Fandor New Voices Award. The film will debut September 16 on Netflix and select theatrical screens to “coincide with Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month,” per The Hollywood Reporter.

“What We Leave Behind” is a portrait of Sosa’s grandfather, Julián Moreno, and follows his efforts to build a new house in his rural hometown of Durango, Mexico. “The film is ultimately a kind of love letter to Julián and his homeland,” the filmmaker told us. “Through voiceover that pairs with imagery of Durango’s landscapes, I reflect on my grandfather’s superstitions, my mother’s journey across the border, and my grandmother’s untimely death when my mom was just a teenager. As I interweave these different threads, I’m able to build relationships and mutual understanding with my relatives, unearth buried memories, and ultimately piece together a fragmented family history. The film honors my family on both sides of the border and tells their story — the story of people we rarely see onscreen.”

“Iliana Sosa’s quietly powerful documentary ‘What We Leave Behind’ is an ode to the life and legacy of her hard-working grandfather and of people like him who determine happiness by love of family and community, not dollars and cents,” said Tilane Jones, president of Array. “Array Releasing is thrilled to amplify this moving story that will resonate with film lovers around the world.”