Nine years after the murder of journalist Moisés Sánchez in Medellín de Bravo, Veracruz, this short film The Last Trip and a special printed edition of Diario La Unión have been released.
Made by Grey México and Oriental Films for client Article 19, the short, titled The Last Trip, recounts the last days of Moisés Sánchez’s life as a taxi driver, an occupation he assumed to fund his work as a journalist. It’s this latter role that made Sánchez (portrayed by Esteban Soberanes) a target, leading to his abduction and murder. The powerful short was directed by Yupi Segura and Marindia via Oriental Films, and shot by DP Pedro Luque (who lensed Society of the Snow, nominated for this year’s Best International Feature Film Oscar).
“It is a story inspired by injustice. We wanted to tell the truth, exaggerating the lie that the authorities created. We hope that the campaign helps to continue the investigations into the Moisés Sanchéz case and justice is done,” said Alexis Ospina, chief creative officer of Grey México, which created the campaign for Article 19, a group which promotes and defends the progressive advancement of the rights of freedom of expression and access to information for all people, in accordance with the highest international human rights standards.
From the year 2000 to date, more than 163 murdered journalists have been documented, placing Mexico as one of the most dangerous countries in the world to practice journalism.
“We live in a society that has little empathy for the pain and silence caused by the murder of a journalist. Although we thought the fight was lost, several families of murdered journalists decided to organize and demand that the authorities do their job,” said Jorge Sánchez, son of journalist Moisés Sánchez.
The purpose of this campaign is to pressure the authorities by demanding justice for the cases of Moisés Sánchez and the hundreds of journalists murdered in Mexico, and to prevent future cases like this from going unpunished.
“This campaign is a solidarity exercise in resilience. We join forces with Grey México and Oriental Films to bet on memory in a country that is broken by fear and indifference. Moisés was a strong and powerful voice for his community, as well as for journalists in Veracruz. Nine years after the events, we walk together with his family in the search for truth, justice and non-repetition,” said Leopoldo Maldonado, regional director of the Article 19 office for Mexico and Central America.
