Midnight Family
Director: Luke Lorentzen Run Time: 81 min. Format: DCP Rating: NR Release Year: 2019 Language: Spanish with English subtitles
Starring: Fer Ochoa, Josue Ochoa, Juan Ochoa
In Mexico City, the government operates fewer than 45 emergency ambulances for a population of 9 million. This has spawned an underground industry of for-profit ambulances often run by people with little or no training or certification. An exception in this ethically fraught, cutthroat industry, the Ochoa family struggles to keep their financial needs from jeopardizing the people in their care. When a crackdown by corrupt police pushes the family into greater hardship, they face increasing moral dilemmas even as they continue providing essential emergency medical services.
Midnight Family has been shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary. Amongst numerous awards the film has received the Special Jury Award for Cinematography, U.S. Documentary at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and Grand Jury Award at the 2019 Sheffield Doc/Fest.