LOGLINE: In the impoverished Salvadorian village, Colonia Ista, fate intertwines two young kids as they attempt to escape the violence of gangs and the terror of supernatural forces for the American dream.

GENRE: Fantasy/ Coming-of-age

SYNOPSIS: Bridges is structured as a triptych of overlapping narratives. Mainly, it revolves around Salvadorian teenagers Alma and Ruyi and their struggles with growing up in impoverished Colonia Ista, El Salvador: between the vicious violence of gangs, the sporadic, yet, familiar supernatural occurrences, and their broken homes, they understand, that they must risk and journey to America for a better life, not just for them but for their children and family. The film begins with a quote by Frederich Nietzsche, which encapsulates the main theme of the film, "Man is a rope, tied between beast and overman——a rope over an abyss...What is great about man is that he is a bridge and not an end”. This quote encapsulates the immigrant mentality, which is, they risk everything for their kids to have a better life than them—each generation being better than the one before. The film begins with an older Hispanic celebrating their daughter's graduation from University. (Opening Image)

Antonella, Alma's older sister, leaves for America at the beginning of Bridges. Their mother, Doña Clarissa, is reticent as Alma is hysterical, pleading for her to stay. The Alma chapters jump through six months after Antonella's departure, and still, they have heard nothing from her. Doña Clarissa and Alma have swapped. Alma is reticent while Doña Clarissa begins to dive into a maddening depression forcing Alma to grow up faster than natural. Ruyi’s story begins with him and his older brother, Tomaz’s, relationship with their father, Don Tomaz, a plain-old brute, has lived a life that will leave most people stunted and empty, but alas is no excuse. At one of the local soccer games, Tomaz is stabbed and killed by gangbangers who had a run-in with Ruyi and Tomaz earlier.(Introduction to protagonist and Inciting Incident)

Ruyi never goes back home after losing his brother as his dad once told them, “I would rather have two dead sons than know one of them left the other side". Ruyi, as with Alma, is forced to grow up earlier than is healthy; both are forced to become adults. During these chapters, both Alma and Ruyi have encounters with supernatural entities, highlighting the idea of what the physical area of Colonia Ista does to the psyche; it’s a place where religion is what gets people through the tough times and as we know if God exists then so does a Devil. The supernatural elements of the film also serve as a way to formulate the idea of “man being a rope tied between beast and overman.” The gangs are the beast more so than the actual beasts in the film or equivalent in some cases. (Break into two)

The third narrative is the story of Chiqui. The film cuts to El Mozote, El Salvador, in 1981 during The Massacre of El Mozote. We follow her journey of getting deported from America and getting caught up with the gangs in El Salvador. During this chapter, we see how the gangs operate. The brainwashing they conduct on kids, the scare tactics, and the rules they live by; while also providing historical context to the genesis of gang culture in El Salvador. (Midpoint)

Alma is dealing with the rapid deterioration of her mother as she suffers from not knowing where her daughter is and Ruyi with the danger of leaving on the street and crippling isolation. After meeting, randomly, Alma and Ruyi develop a relationship and find solace in each other. They decide to make the trek to America, but not before a final confrontation with Chiqui, the gang bangers, and the evil spirits of Colonia Ista. (Low point and break into 3)

They escape and begin their journey to America, however, the actual ending is the first scene of the movie, which is an older version of Alma and Ruyi watching their daughter graduate from college— encapsulating the idea of the immigrant story, to go through intense suffering for the betterment of the next generation. (Climax/Resolution)