According to data from the State of Chihuahua, the Western Sierra Tarahumara “is the natural and historic land of the indigenous people of Chihuahua.” In it, 85,316 indigenous people live, representing 78% of the original population in the state.

However, the presence of organized crime has forced an unknown number of families to leave their customs and ancestral territories, fleeing to the big cities to save their lives. This phenomenon is known as forced internal displacement by violence and constitutes a violation of human rights.

In Mexico, forced internal displacement is not classified as a crime, further aggravating the situation of the communities. Families live without access to justice and without knowing if they will ever be able to return safely to their territories to resume life as they know it: in communion with the land.

In the cities, displaced people face a life that does not match their worldview and, as if that were not enough, they are exposed to different types of violence ranging from discrimination to criminalization when they mobilize to demand justice.

Teresa Camou’s feature film “CRUZ” portrays this harsh situation through the intimate story of the family of the indigenous governor leader Cruz Sánchez. Who, despite having lost two sons to violence, resists in exile from the city, trying to maintain his Rarámuri way of life and dignity.