Midnight Family

In a city of nine million people, Mexico City has a fleet of just 45 government provided ambulances. The shortfall, is made up for by competing private emergency response teams with limited medical skills, certification and resources.

In this riveting, raw, cinéma vérité documentary, director, editor, cinematographer and producer, Luke Lorentzen focuses on the ambulance workers' experience rather than that of the patients. We meet the charismatic Ochoa family and their 17 years old son Juan as their race against other ambulances to provide medical assistance. They have to pay a bribe of $17 for each call they respond to while attempting to collect a transportation fee of $185 from either the patient or from the hospital they reach.

Lorentzen crafted a fascinating film with impeccaple technical detail and momentum coupled by profound questions about this ambigous industry and the importance of governmental oversight.