Film Review: Under the Same Moon by Patricia Riggen

Abstract

The storyline of the film Under the Same Moon (2008) demonstrates a Mexican mother and son who are separated by the U.S.-Mexico border. The film examines the challenges and risks of immigrants who face hardship when crossing these neighboring countries. Patricia Riggen is a Mexican film director born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and has gained experience in journalism and writing for documentaries. Riggen obtained a degree in Communication Sciences, and her thesis work is titled “Female Directors,” which allowed her to interview the top four female film directors at the time. Given that opportunity, Riggen had many job inquiries lined up but worked as a writer for her local newspaper and for a producer, which allowed her to collect research on the production industry. With that, she moved to New York City, where she received her master’s degree in directing and screenwriting at Columbia University. Since English was not her first language, Riggen started writing short movies without dialogue. While attending Columbia University, she directed two short films and found herself interested in writing and producing films. This led to the directing of her major-recognized movie Under the Same Moon, which was acknowledged by many industries and granted even more opportunities. Directing the film Under the Same Moon allowed Riggen to portray the immigrant experience of a young woman who is working in Los Angeles illegally and is separated from her 9-year-old son, still living back home with her mother in a small Mexican village.