In Mexico a wave of violence has swept across the country. Drug cartels have been fighting each other for control of the drug trade in the United States. One filmmaker, Charlie Minn, set out to do a documentary film that will show the world the extent of the violence.
“8 Murders A Day,” Minn’s third film, will open in two theatres, the Regal Manchester in Fresno and the Hanford Metro 4 in Hanford. The movie is scheduled to run for a week. Minn hopes that if the attendance is high enough, the movie will run for a longer period of time.
Minn has always had a passion for filmmaking, especially true crime drama. He’s had experience in many different fields. He’s done editing and writing and Minn has also dabbled in sports broadcasting. He worked for KSEE 24 as a sportscaster from 2003 to 2004.
“It’s been in my blood,” Minn said.
The success of his other films has helped him build connections that have allowed him to show the film in the Central Valley. The Central Valley’s large Hispanic population is what drew Minn to show his movie in Fresno and Hanford.
Minn described the violence in Mexico, especially in the city of Juarez, as an “unknown war.”
“It’s been overlooked, ignored. Eighty percent of the people out there have no idea what’s going on. The amount of people murdered are more than the people killed on 9/11,” Minn said.
Minn went on to reveal that in 2008 alone there were 10,000 executions in Juarez. He also revealed that since President Felipe Calderon declared war on the drug cartels, there has been a total of 40,000 murders.
“That’s the size of football stadium. Can you imagine if all those people were wiped out?” Minn said.
Minn explained that the desire for illegal drugs is what has been fueling the violence.
During filming, Minn’s crew safety was at stake, but he knew how to play it safe. During the interview, Minn said that he and his crew mainly stayed inside. They kept a low profile. They went to Juarez and retreated as soon as they could.
For the film, Minn interviewed Molly Malloy, a research librarian at New Mexico State University who played a major role in preparing for “8 Murders a Day.” Malloy was assigned with trying to keep track of the incidents of violence. She wants to make sure people are aware of what is occuring in Juarez.
“It’s not really a drug war, but a human rights nightmare,” Malloy said.
Malloy discovered that 90 percent of the people killed were not criminals, but innocent bystanders. Malloy was able to find some footage that was able to convey the sincerity of the situation. Funerals of the victims, the suffering of people in Juarez and the views of American citizens were included in the footage Malloy contributed.
Another contributor to Minn’s film was Dr. Tony Payan. Payan works in the political science department at the University of Texas, El Paso. His background in political science made him study the war on drugs a bit differently. He was able to give insight into the similarities of how Mexico and the United States handle the drug war.
“The laws and penalties are similar to the way the U.S. deals with drugs,” Payan said.
Payan hopes there is one message the audience doesn’t take from the film. He doesn’t want people to see “that side of the border as hell.” He wants members of the audience to see the violence as a problem that affects everyone.