El Norte

El Norte is a 1983 film that tells the story of a teenaged brother and sister from Central America who leave their war-torn country to try to find a new life in Los Angeles; the two characters expect to have a simple, easy life in the United States. Uneducated, without connections or papers, they are faced with limited prospects and constant persecution. The film stars Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez, David Villalpando and Ernesto Gómez Cruz.

The movie was written by Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas, and was directed by Nava. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.