El Norte

El Norte follows a brother and sister (David Villalpando and Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez) who flee from ethnic and political persecution in Guatemala to the United States. This sweeping story infused with Mayan folklore was written, produced and directed by Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas, a husband and wife team that had studied film at UCLA. Described by Variety as the "first American independent epic," the film received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

El Norte was added to the National Film Registry in 1995.