Paraso

Paraíso is a documentary that tells the story of three immigrant window cleaners from Mexico who risk their lives every day rappelling down some of Chicago's tallest sky-scrapers. Paraíso reveals the danger of their job and what they see on the way down. The film has gained critical acclaim on the festival circuit for its honest and dignified portrayal of these men but an Oscar nomination would be a crucial turning point in our ability to share this timely story with a much larger audience.

We have worked as a small, dedicated team for the last few years and Paraíso has been surprisingly successful thus far. But the road to the Oscars is a costly one and we cannot do it without your support. I ask for your help in raising $20,000 to cover our basic costs and keep us in the running. Any amount you are able to contribute will be invaluable to us in the coming month.

 Your support is sincerely appreciated. Thank you!

OUR WEBSITE:

www.paraisofilm.com

WHAT THE PRESS HAS TO SAY:

The Huffington Post writes: "Delightful, probing, insightful, and most importantly, ennobling its subjects without the least trace of condescension, Kurtz takes you on a 10 minute ride to the top of the world with men who face death on a daily basis just to feed their families...It's enough to make John Steinbeck cry."

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL JURY COMMENTS:

“This film is a beautifully crafted portrait of a group of men with a sense of humanity and a very unique view of the world. In 10 minutes we were drawn into a story that told us about human nature, quality of life, economics, race, the importance of family and mortality. The men may be invisible to the world rushing below them, but they see through the windows they’re washing—deep into the lives and souls of the people behind the glass. It’s cinematically exquisite, with light so rich it’s thrilling to watch.” 

- Brett Ratner, Susan Sarandon, James Spione, Shailene Woodley, Scooter Braun, Robert Hammond and Susan Zirinsky

MAJOR AWARDS: 

2012 Chicago International Film Festival – Best Documentary Short
2012 Tribeca Film Festival - Best Documentary Short
2012 Cine Las Americas - Best Documentary Short
2012 Seattle International Film Festival - Best Documentary Short
2012 Melbourne International Film Festival- BBC Knowledge Award for Best Documentary Short
2012 AFI-Discovery SilverDocs - Sterling Short Honorable Mention
2012 Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival- Special Jury Mention
2012 Gimli Film Festival- Best Short Film For Artistic Achievement