Purgatorio: A Journey Into the Heart of the Border (documentary film)

Sept 16, 7:30pm, Immigrant Voices Film Series at La Peña Cultural Center

The Immigrant Voices Film Series continues at La Peña Cultural Center on September 16, 2025, with Purgatorio: A Journey Into the Heart of the Border by Rodrigo Reyes, a provocative documentary that takes viewers on a reflective — and frequently raw — journey through a surreal region full of contrasts.

This event is a benefit for Centro Legal de la Raza, which provides comprehensive legal advocacy and support for underserved immigrant community members in the Bay Area.

Director Rodrigo Reyes is expected to join Maciel Jacques, Deputy Director of Centro Legal de La Raza for Q&A following the screening.

Immigrant Voices / Voces Inmigrantes Film Series every 3rd Tuesday at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, California. Admission is $10-$25 sliding scale. All screenings begin at 7:30pm.

To get tickets go to https://lapena.org/event/purgatorio/

Additional information about the film and Centro Legal de la Raza below:

As an immigrant artist, born in Mexico City, Rodrigo Reyes crafts a poetic gaze from the margins of both cultures. In Purgatorio: A Journey Into the Heart of the Border he follows migrants, talks to relatives of those who died crossing deserts, coroners who try to pin down a cause of death, and the border patrol. Ultimately, the film is a fable of humanity, an epic and visceral experience with compelling characters and powerful and lingering images.

Centro Legal de la Raza has been on the front lines of the immigrant justice movement since 1969, standing in solidarity with communities resisting deportation, detention, and exploitation. Rooted in Oakland’s Latinx, Black, and immigrant neighborhoods, Centro Legal's Immigrants’ Rights team defends asylum seekers, unaccompanied youth, long-term undocumented residents, and survivors of violence—providing powerful legal representation, know-your-rights education, and community-driven advocacy. Through rapid-response mobilizations and bold impact litigation, Centro Legal de la Raza challenges unjust systems, keeps families together, and works toward a future where every person lives with dignity, safety, and belonging.