March 20, 2000 - Austin, Texas

The Southwest Premiere of the documentary film "Split Decision" will take place at the Cine Las Americas Film Festival in Austin Texas, April 21-29.

Gabriel Jesus Sandoval Chavez was born in Mexico, but grew up as an American kid in the inner city of Chicago: getting by in school, competing as a talented amateur boxer, working at McDonald’s… and joining a gang to make friends. When gang members invited him along on an armed robbery of a local grocery store in September 1990, he accepted. They got the money; no one was hurt. He was caught a week later, and sent to prison for three and a half years, his world shattered, his parents stunned.

After his release, Jesus settled in Austin to get away from the influence of his street friends. He turned to boxing, pouring his energy into a stellar career that earned him respect, recognition, and fervent support from a broad-based group of Austin friends and fans.

"Split Decision" is the story of an immensely talented young boxer who turns his life around completely, only to be deported to Mexico in 1997 just as he is on the verge of a world championship. Back in the country he left as a child, Jesus finds himself facing two new battles… the fight for the right to return to his family and career in the U.S., and the struggle to be accepted in the country of his birth.

Director Marcy Garriott says the film was shot in DV format over a two year period in Chicago, Austin, Mexico City, and the Mexican state of Chihuahua. She was drawn to the story after meeting Jesus around the time of his deportation, and being struck by the irony of his situation… a fully rehabilitated former gang member being deported, separated from the new life he had worked so hard to build, with virtually no appeal. "Jesus is really such an extraordinary person – gentle and sincere, yet incredibly determined and focused," says the Austin-based director. "We feel fortunate to have been able to capture his story. It is such a personal story and yet it touches on so many important issues, like cultural identity, the fairness of current immigration policy, and the difficulty of true redemption in today’s ‘tough-on-crime’ atmosphere."

"Split Decision" is an unusual documentary: it is a compelling portrait of a resilient and courageous young boxer with a past, as well as a multi-layered and suspenseful narrative, set against the backdrop of important social issues. The film’s story-telling approach is honest and straightforward, yet the cumulative effect of the imagery and voices in the film is lyrical and rich. This is a bittersweet film that leaves the audience thinking about the issues it raises long afterwards.