Following the screening of “Sleep Dealer” will be an audience Q&A and panel discussion with:

Director of the film and Educator Alex Rivera

Border Journalist Melissa del Bosque

UA Professor of Art, David Taylor

See all panelist bios here

SLEEP DEALER
A film by Alex Rivera

(USA/Mexico, 2008, 88 min. In English and Spanish, with English subtitles)
35mm print!

Sleep Dealer is a groundbreaking cyberpunk science-fiction thriller that reimagines the U.S./Mexico border in a near future where migration is no longer physical but digital. Memo Cruz (Luis Fernando Peña), a young man from rural Mexico, dreams of a better life in the United States. But in this new world order, borders are sealed, and the only way to “cross” is through the net—by connecting his body to a global network, Memo remotely operates machines in America, sending his labor without his presence. A winner at Sundance and the Berlinale, the film blends genre spectacle with urgent social commentary to depict a world shaped by militarized borders, drone warfare, and outsourced labor. Visually striking and politically resonant, this visionary debut feature by Alex Rivera challenges who gets to be the hero in science fiction—and what futures are worth fighting for.

SLEEP DEALER

(Alex Rivera, EE. UU./México, 2008, 88 min. En español e inglés con subtítulos en inglés)

¡Copia en 35 mm!

Sleep Dealer (El traficante de sueños) es un visionario thriller de ciencia ficción ciberpunk que reimagina la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México en un futuro cercano donde la migración ya no es física, sino digital. Memo Cruz (Luis Fernando Peña), un joven del México rural, sueña con una vida mejor, pero en este nuevo orden mundial, las fronteras están selladas, y la única forma de “cruzar” es a través de la red: conectando su cuerpo a una red global, Memo opera máquinas en Estados Unidos, enviando su trabajo sin estar presente. Galardonada en Sundance y la Berlinale, la película combina el espectáculo de género con una urgente crítica social, mostrando un mundo marcado por fronteras militarizadas, drones de combate y trabajo subcontratado. Visualmente impactante y políticamente resonante, esta visionaria ópera prima de Alex Rivera cuestiona quién puede ser el héroe en la ciencia ficción y qué futuros vale la pena defender.

Cinematic Borderlands Film and Conversation Series

This event is presented by the Fox Tucson Theatre, as part of its lifelong learning Curious Conversations programming.

Co-presented by

Curated by Carlos A. Gutiérrez and Vicky Westover

See All Lifelong Learning Events

Community Partners

This new film and dialogue series explores the U.S.- Mexico borderlands as a space of layered histories, cultural intersections, and creative possibility. Part of the Fox’s Curious Conversations program, the series uses cinema as a springboard for dialogue and connection. Through authentic storytelling and meaningful conversations, this combination of film and panel discussions explores a region that is often portrayed by mainstream media in distorted ways, offering instead a lens rooted in nuance, hope, and humanity.