Peter Kramer / Associated press

Other articles by Phil Villarreal:

Her most recent work stars Asner, Faustino Cheadle hopes his kids don't follow his path Daring portrayalsPhil's picks Ask Phil You'll have a bad hare day watching 'House Bunny' 'Death Race' likely to drive viewers crazyA very palpable hit Unique film baffles, confuses and irritates Phil's picks

Driver/Transportation
DRIVERS Health Care
Project Insight
Asst Program Coordinator General
Border States Electric
Warehouse Associates Restaurants and Clubs
RED SKY
LINE COOK, SOUS CHEF, PREP COOK Health Care
ADMINISTRATOR Trades/Construction
Rice Plumbing
Plumbers General
Independent Fire & Safety
Fire Suppression Systems inspector

The new wave of Mexican filmmakers has made theatrical fare more diverse, but the wave itself has lacked the diversity of a female voice.

Mexican filmmaker Patricia Riggen, who says Mexican women are subtly discouraged to pursue careers as directors, is out to change all that.

"When I was growing up, before I started in the film business, being a director was like being an astronaut," Riggen said. "Something nobody could become."

Riggen, the director of "Under the Same Moon," which opened Wednesday, longs to become a role model other Latinas can look to as inspiration. She's already well on the way to that goal.

Illegal immigration is the theme of her film, which was a rousing success at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. A screening audience gave the film a standing ovation, and Fox Searchlight bought the movie for $5 million, a record for a Spanish-language movie. The story is about a Mexican boy who journeys to the United States to reunite with his mother. His travels take him from El Paso to Los Angeles with a lengthy stopover in Tucson (the film was shot in Los Angeles and Mexico).

"What I believe and what I try to do is show perspectives of the immigrants themselves in the movie," Riggen said. "(It's) something we haven't seen in movies, which can be very dark, depressing and very cruel. This is not that kind. I tried to show immigrants can have fun, lighthearted and heartwarming experiences. I tried to make it a good cinematic experience. What I believe is that they're human. They're fun. They have a sense of humor. They laugh, they have romances and all of that."

Riggen, 37, a native of Guadalajara, came to the United States in 1997 to study at Columbia University's graduate film program. She now lives in Los Angeles.

She made a short documentary, "Family Portrait," that won the Jury Prize for Short Filmmaking at Sundance in 2005. That year Riggen was named one of the top 25 new faces in independent film by Filmmaker Magazine.

Riggen carried the momentum into her first feature film with "Under the Same Moon," which was funded by a grant from the Mexican government as well as private American investors. Although the budget prevented Riggen from shooting in Tucson and El Paso, she visited both cities so she could nail how they look.

"I've been to Tucson several times," Riggen said. "I love it, its beautiful landscapes."

Riggen said her movie aims to show the humanity of the immigrants.

"People don't just decide to sacrifice their life, sacrifice so many things, because they have other options," Riggen said. "Most of them, if not all, come here for the love of their family, or to find a loved one here."