Detained in the Desert

Detained in the Desert parallels two completely different people: Sandi, a second-generation dark skinned Latina and Lou Becker, a racist talk show radio host, whose lives converge in the desert of Arizona. An Arizona cop racially profiles Sandi, who refuses to show her identification. Accordingly, her refusal to show her "papers" puts her on an unexpected course toward immigrant detention. Conversely, three siblings who have just suffered the loss of their brother due to a hate crime influenced by Lou's racist talk show, kidnap him in hopes of seeking justice. In turn, Sandi is about to be transferred to another immigrant detention center when her I.C.E. bus crashes in the desert. She escapes only to end up stranded in the desert. Lou is freed by one of his kidnappers, who deliberately gave him bad directions to get him lost. Consequently, Sandi and Lou meet in the desert and help each other survive. Both Sandi and Lou come to understand the severity of the plight of the immigrants through a gruesome discovery.