British Council Logo UK Films Database
Project Detail

Dead When I Got Here

Synopsis

This film is about a man finding purpose for his life in the most unlikely place after years of self-destruction. Infested with gangrene, unable to walk, Josué was cast out of the traumatised streets of Juárez, México into the desert and dumped in a mental asylum run by its own patients. Assisted by people employing empathy as the only means of survival, Josué transcended near death - discovering compassion in his darkest hours. Six years later, Josué manages the asylum. He dreams of his estranged daughter in California - last seen 22 years ago. Trawling the Internet, Vanessa encounters her father in the trailer for this film. The reunion offers Josué possibility to repair his shattered past and start life afresh.
Visit Film Website

Details

Year
2015
Type of project
Features
Running time
72 min
Director
Mark Aitken
Producer
Mark Aitken
Executive Producer
Chuck Bowden
Editor
Sibila Estruch
Screenwriter
Mark Aitken
Director of Photography
Mark Aitken
Composer
Mark Pilkington
Principal cast
Josué Rosales

Genre

Drama

Categories

Documentary

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

UK, Mexico, US coproduction

Tacit Films (UK)

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

Suggest amendments

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

TCB - The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing TCB - The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing

Director: Monica Henriquez, Louis J. Massiah

Year: 2025

Structured as a series of classes in cultural organising, this film reconstructs the life of a woman whose literary works and film collaborations became a catalysing force in 20th century political movements. Toni Morrison, Nikky Finney and filmmaker Haile Gerima are among those who testify to Bambara's humour, fierce commitment to collective action and gift for galvanising artists into community work. Official Selection DOC NYC 2025 - World premiere Official SelectionTrue/False Film Festival 2026 Official Selection Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival 2026 Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2026 - European premiere

Biography Black Woman Director
Feast or Famine Feast or Famine

Director: Adrian Choa, Michael Boccalini

Year: 2026

There is a certain air of mystery around the famed Michelin stars sparsely given to the world’s best restaurants and chefs. Few people can explain the system as well as legendary chef Marco Pierre White, the first Brit to earn three of them - and the first to famously give them all back. This documentary lifts the heavy curtain of secrecy that surrounds high-end dining, with White demystifying the Michelin myth while the highly-regarded team behind East London’s buzzy Angelina restaurant chases their first ever coveted star. Official Selection SXSW London 2026 - World premiere

Intelligence Rising Intelligence Rising

Director: Elena Andreicheva

Year: 2026

Much has been said about artificial intelligence's effect on fields such as the creative arts, but we are only now beginning to experience the geopolitical consequences. Intelligence Rising chronicles a bold experiment: some of the world’s most prominent thinkers in politics, military strategy, philosophy, and technology gather to play an intricate wargame designed by Marc Warner, a founder and leader who's been at the frontier of AI progress for 15 years. What ensues is a stark warning, but also a much-needed reminder of the power of human autonomy and empathy. Official Selection DOX DANMARK - World premiere Official Selection CPH DOX 2026 Official Selection SXSW London 2026