Interview with Christian de la Cortina for movie Invisible America, now in streaming

Invisible America is the movie is available in streaming on Apple Tv+, Prime Video and other platforms
Invisible America is the movie is available in streaming on Apple Tv+, Prime Video and other platforms (click here to watch). The movie stars Christian de la Cortina – also director – Frank Baylis, Jorge Martinez Colorado, Iliana Donatlán.

Fearing for his life, Fernandi seeks asylum in the U.S. He finds illegal work on a dairy farm alongside other undocumented workers. Here he learns that their ambiguous status leaves them vulnerable to the abuses they were escaping from.

Why did you choose this topic?

I chose this story in 2019, when families were being separated at the U.S. border. It felt impossible to stay silent. As I dug in, I learned that modern slavery still traps tens of millions of people worldwide—including many here in North America. Invisible America grew from that shock and from my own encounters with migrant workers; I wanted to humanize them beyond headlines and politics.

Fernando is an intellectual and a journalist. Did you want to challenge the stereotype of the uneducated immigrant?

Absolutely. Too often, films box Latino immigrants into two lanes—criminality or survival jobs—and that erases a huge part of our reality. Fernando is an intellectual and a journalist because I wanted audiences to meet a character whose weapon is his mind: curiosity, ethics, and language. By centering a character like Fernando, we remind viewers that immigrants or illegals occupy every profession and social class.

Where was the film shot?

We shot in Québec’s Eastern Townships, about 30 km from the US/Vermont border. It’s home for us, and Canada’s tax incentives let us stretch an indie budget without shrinking the vision. Winter became a character: we worked in –30°C (–22°F), which was brutal on batteries, gear, cast and crew, but that harshness served the story. You can see the breath, the red cheeks, it grounded the performances in a very real way.

We also filmed during the pandemic and had to pause production twice. Each stop risked losing our snow continuity and missing the winter look before spring. It was stressful, but the pressure made the film more focused.

If you were Fernando, would you have acted in the same way?

Yes. I would have done exactly what Fernando does. The ending divides some viewers, but I stand by it 100%. For me, integrity isn’t a luxury—it’s the one thing you can’t bargain away, especially when you’re far from home in a colder, harsher place. Survival without dignity isn’t survival; it’s surrender. Fernando chooses the harder path because truth matters, and because once you cross that line, you don’t get yourself back. That’s the point of the film’s final beat: he pays a price, but he keeps his soul.

What difficulties did you face in producing the film?

We had problems due to Covid. We had to interrupt our movie set twice. This created delays in our schedule and we had to change half of the crew. We also lost two actress and had to replace them but in the end, it was all meant to be because Sonia Martinez and Kim Huffman did an amazing job playing Carolina and Dorothy.

What difficulties do independent films currently face in finding distribution?

For years, too many independent filmmakers have been taken advantage of by sales agents and distributors—opaque reporting, one-sided contracts, and long recoupment chains that leave creators last in line. I’ve lived some of that.

The good news is the landscape is changing. With transparent VOD platforms, direct-to-audience tools, and smarter hybrid releases, filmmakers can keep far more control over both revenues and positioning.

With Invisible America, we’re opting for a focused self-release to gain leverage and stay close to our audience. The film mixes Spanish and confronts racism in North America—topics some distributors avoid—so we’re steering the rollout to ensure it reaches the communities it serves.

Could you give us a sneak preview of your upcoming projects?

Our next feature is DRC, a humanitarian thriller set in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It follows a team of humanitarian pilots involved in coltan trafficking… a conflict mineral. The film explores how our appetite for mobile devices is connected to mines where children are still exploited—while delivering the tension and propulsion of an aviation thriller. As with Invisible America, the goal is to entertain and carry real moral weight. We’re in active casting with a strong distribution partner onboard, and we’re targeting a February 2026 shoot.