Original subtitles

PREVIOUSLY ON EVERY MINUTE COUNTS

We're experiencing the worst of tragedies on this September 19, 1985.

We're going to rescue our brothers and sisters!

There's no time to lose!

Ordinary people are trying to rescue newborns.

What worries me is FIFA will use the earthquake to take away the World Cup.

What do you propose?

The most important thing is to reject all international aid, Mr. President.

I interviewed a cop who was assigned to the Secretariat of Tourism.

He told me that your brother and his boss are in league with the television network.

I got the job at the Kentucky Derby.

I was thinking about the United States.

-I don't want to go. -You know where I'll be.

You can through now.

Today we prove that we're a people who can save ourselves.

No!

-Corrupt asshole. -Yeah? Well, that's how I supported you.

Rosario. See my hand?

You're going to pass me the newborn.

The tectonic plates will continue to move.

It's impossible to predict tremors.

I assure you, there will be more.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Please take your seats.

Good afternoon, General.

Take a seat.

I would like to introduce Dr. María Aguilar.

She is the chief seismologist at the National Seismological Service,

and she has something to tell us.

Thank you, sir.

Well, miss, here we are.

What do you have to tell us so urgently?

Here are studies on the tectonic plates from the last five decades.

Here's the waterlogged subsoil from areas affected by yesterday's earthquake.

In the foreground is Colonia Doctores,

Tlatelolco, Colonia Juárez, Roma, Condesa and San Rafael.

As we explained last night at the Ministry of the Interior offices,

the construction permits for these areas should have been more stringent

and ensured the seismic resilience of the buildings.

We can't turn back time.

We need to be more proactive, please.

In 1957, there was an earthquake of magnitude 7.8

with an epicenter 90 kms southeast of Acapulco…

Sorry, but what does 1957 have to do with what happened yesterday?

These peaks show the aftershocks of the '57 earthquake.

Do all earthquakes have subsequent aftershocks?

All of them.

So, it's going to shake again?

We told your boss last night.

That's why he's here.

Tell us what you have to say.

Every earthquake has aftershocks.

Most aftershocks are weak,

but there's usually a stronger aftershock

that can be just one degree lower than the original quake.

So if the earthquake was of magnitude 8.1, the aftershock…

Could be of magnitude 7.1.

That is still within a catastrophic range. This isn't over.

Tell me…

how much time do we have before this supposed major aftershock?

Impossible to know.

It could be tomorrow, in a week, in two hours.

The important thing is to keep the civilian population informed.

The news says the tectonic plates have stopped moving,

that there won't be another tremor for a while.

Years, maybe.

They don't know what they are saying.

The government should step in.

Right now, no one is safe.

The aftershock could happen at any moment.

Staying silent would be a crime.

EVERY MINUTE COUNTS

Ángel's been buried under the rubble for 24 hours,

trying to rescue Rosario and the last baby.

Heartbroken, Pepín's decided to leave Chave and her daughter

in the collapse of the Central Hospital.

After confronting Dr. Ángel's corrupt brother,

Camila had her camera destroyed along with all the evidence

of the injustices committed during the first hours of the earthquake.

It is 5:00 p.m. on September 20, 1985…

The clock keeps ticking…

It's been 30 hours since an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck the Federal District.

The National Seismological Service

believes the death toll could exceed 3,000 and 4,000 victims could be buried.

The army is stepping in to help rescue loved ones.

Even so, the aid is not enough.

Despite the efforts of the rescue teams, the results are slow and ineffective.

You can't go through.

Dr. Ángel has been trapped down there for hours.

-Do something! -It's been too long.

If ambulances and firefighters aren't coming, let us through.

-It's 5:00 p.m. and we have no news. -We demand answers!

I'll go in and get him. Let me through.

What's the plan?

-I'm telling you, let me through! -People are trapped alive down there!

-Just let us through! -Let us through!

-I'm telling you… -You have to move.

Soldier, let me through!

Calm down!

Son of a bitch!

The doctor must be dead by now.

Go back to the cafeteria. There are people who need your help.

We don't want things to get worse. Is that clear?

-He's badly hurt. -Over here.

-Thank you. -This way.

No, wait. Only medical staff and the injured.

We can't treat them like this, in chaos.

You're right. There's no way to treat everyone.

We're overwhelmed.

I know. We'll set up an emergency unit.

In the tents.

-Yes, Doctor. -Good.

We'll treat all the new patients over there.

-To the tents. -Follow me.

We can set everything up here. Can you help me?

With pleasure.

We'll set up a new emergency unit in the tents,

so everyone follow me.

Here we can organize--

What happened? How is…

We need to spread the news.

We can't stay like this.

That's what human rights are for.

In this country? No.

Hey! Dr. Ángel's brother is on the radio.

Hey, come on.

Work is underway to implement

a national emergency plan of the highest level.

What can those who lost their homes expect?

They shouldn't worry. The military is in charge.

He's a hypocrite.

You should find him.

He's the only one who can help us rescue Ángel.

I don't even have a camera to use being a journalist as an excuse.

When has that ever stopped you?

Your tool is your voice, not a camera.

Plus, I'm worried the doctor might be hurt or--

No. Don't say that.

I'm sure the doctor is alive.

I'm going to find Ignacio.

We're going to get Ángel out alive. Trust me.

SURVIVOR TENTS HILDA

I need more buckets over here!

My Josecito loved this song.

I'm going to miss him every day of my life.

Now you have a little angel watching over you from Heaven.

They won't even let me go find his body.

Those bastards.

They will get him out.

How?

The soldiers won't let us through and they don't lift a finger.

It looks like the hospital will stay like this forever.

Why don't you go home?

They say you've been here for two days.

I don't have one anymore.

Mine collapsed.

I lost everything.

My mom doesn't want to leave.

And my dad went somewhere else.

But my grandma is coming for me.

I'm sorry, but you can't come in.

-Good afternoon. -Good afternoon.

What's your name?

Valenzuela.

Just that? Valenzuela?

Manuel. My name's Manuel.

Look, Manuel, the earthquake was yesterday.

We've been waiting for firefighters for over 24 hours,

so we can go in and look for the doctor.

Ask the colonel to let us in

to find the doctor and our colleague Rosario.

They are inside.

I'm here to take orders, not give them.

-We have to save the doctor. -Step back.

-Please. -Step back.

Hello. Remember me?

Oh, that's right.

We helped you rescue the women from… Where was it? The factory?

The textile factory. Do you have the car?

No. I don't know what car you're talking about.

How come, if I have video of you stealing it?

No!

We don't know anything about any safe.

Here's the deal.

Take me to Los Pinos right now as an urgent matter,

and I won't tell any cop about any safe, any car…

Give us a chance to eat. That's why we're here.

Dr. Zambrano is trapped under the rubble.

This is important.

Let's go.

Okay, move it.

I'll replace it later.

Take care.

Take good care of your grandma.

Don't leave the house for anything.

What if it shakes again?

No way, don't worry. It won't happen again.

Anyway, you'll be with your grandma.

With the military here, things are more complicated.

Yes, Mom.

Oh, Mom. I just want to be with you and Dad.

Me too, sweetie. But I don't know where your dad went.

The CONALEP, the National College of Professional Technical Education ,

was one of the major buildings affected by the catastrophe.

Out of the hundreds who come to the educational center daily,

the number of students and workers trapped inside remains unknown.

Citizen intervention in rescue efforts

forces thousands of families to separate, unable to process what happened yesterday.

Excuse me, have you seen a boy with curly hair?

Excuse me!

Bring me a stretcher!

We're on it!

We need to lift this again so that…

Let's find out who's in charge of the rescue.

Looks like no one is.

Hey, excuse me!

-Who's in charge of the rescue? -No one.

We're just working in groups, getting people out. That's it.

Are you from the General Hospital?

Hopefully, you'll help us get someone out alive.

Because we've been finding only bodies.

Ma'am, do you need help?

Ma'am?

Excuse me.

Do you need help?

No. I'm not from here.

No, I haven't seen him.

No.

But I can help you ask around.

Excuse me, have you seen him?

They haven't.

What's up?

She's looking for… Well, for the guy in the photo.

No. You?

Hey, come here.

Do you know him?

Yes, that's Ezequiel.

Are you his aunt Alicia?

I saw him this morning.

I stayed outside smoking, but he went in.

He's down there.

Down there.

I'm sorry.

Don't worry, everything is under control.

Mexico is ready to host the World Cup.

With all due respect, the news says otherwise.

Is there a FIFA report on this yet?

For now, none.

We are proceeding with caution.

All right. Thank you very much.

Good afternoon, Secretary.

The whole charade will come crashing down. They'll give the World Cup to Colombia.

This is a grace period to prove we can handle it.

What do we do?

Prepare reports on the hotels and tourist destinations in the country.

The Azteca Stadium is in perfect condition, right?

Make some videos with National Team players.

One where they praise the government's swift response,

and another one where they convince FIFA

that Mexico will be the best host in World Cup history.

Hopefully.

We have a lot to lose.

This could help us!

Come help us!

Move aside!

There are people in there.

I felt it, there are people inside. Help me.

Yes. We know your relative was here when the earthquake struck.

But you're not alone.

All of us here will do everything we can to get him and the other boys out.

Please, please.

They are alive.

-What is she trying to say? -I don't know, I have no idea.

Do you have paper? A pencil? Can you read my lips?

Look, I promise I'll do everything I can to get your nephew out of there.

Right now, I don't know any more than you.

Darío, are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Pain brings false hope.

She's sure her nephew is in there.

Please, Sol.

How can she be so sure?

I don't know.

But she seems very convinced.

4 MONTHS EARLIER

COMMUNITY CENTER ALICIA AND EZEQUIEL

…Sign Language communication is important.

Over there at the market, the same thing happens with people.

When Ezequiel goes with me to interpret, it's easy.

But when he leaves and I'm alone…

Well, I try to communicate using gestures,

and it's easy, but people don't understand.

That's the problem,

that hearing people don't pay attention.

I hope that in the future, here in Mexico,

there will be laws to offer classes.

But the government isn't the only one responsible.

Alicia is right.

When hearing people talk to us, we don't understand anything.

On top of that, they get angry.

Ezequiel suggested offering Sign Language classes.

Hey… So what happened?

The director is not interested at all.

He doesn't understand the point.

Because, apparently, here in Mexico, there are few Deaf people.

This belongs to him.

Her nephew.

Pepín!

It's her nephew's cap.

The lady was right.

4 MONTHS EARLIER

SIGN LANGUAGE ALPHABET

Sharing that kind of information is also very useful.

I think it's a great idea.

If no one else is going to do anything, we have to start.

I have already started at my job.

But my bosses got upset.

Were people interested?

Yes, they're good colleagues.

It caught their attention and they take it seriously.

My friends want to learn sign language.

Next week, my aunt's giving a workshop

at my school and I'm going to help her.

What great news!

Thank you.

There's no one here.

No, there's no one here.

Is someone there?

You were right. How did you know?

Attention! Neighbors!

I came from the General Hospital.

I left my wife there, I left my daughter,

just to come and dig through the rubble here.

Many here are teachers.

Many don't know how to reinforce a tunnel.

How to crawl through the debris without causing another collapse.

We are people willing to risk it, but we need to get organized.

I'm tired of pulling out the dead.

I want to go back to my family when this is all over.

We should be receiving aid, but it isn't arriving.

Let's do what the government isn't capable of doing.

I'm not giving up.

Careful, easy.

It's Alejandra Anaya.

I know her.

Let's gather strength for all of them.

They would do it for us.

Darío…

It doesn't matter how many bodies we unearth.

If we pull out even one person alive, it will be worth it.

You are the heroes this city needs.

Is this a house?

The president's.

It's not all rubble.

I won't be long.

-Don't go anywhere. -No.

Never, miss.

Some people are already gathering…

-I trust you. -Yes.

Many phone lines in Mexico City…

I bet you the safe they won't let her in.

That girl gets in anywhere.

Copy that.

I'm Camila Toledo. I'm looking for Ignacio Zambrano.

It's about his brother. It's urgent.

I'm sorry. We weren't told to expect anyone.

A car is coming out, miss.

What the hell are you doing here?

-Get her out of here. -Come on.

Your brother's been under the rubble since yesterday.

What do you mean, since yesterday?

You let him go in.

The tunnel collapsed on him.

Damn it!

Wait. Didn't the firefighters go?

Colonel Hernández won't let us go in to rescue him.

If we don't start the rescue soon, your brother has very little chance.

Every minute counts.

GENERAL HOSPITAL RUBBLE ÁNGEL

Help!

No!

No!

Help!

Pepín!

Help, Pepín! Someone! Help!

It's okay.

It's fine.

There you go.

There, there.

There you go, we're okay.

There, there.

Help me!

Help, please!

We need help.

He's not responding. Help me, he's not breathing.

Dr. Carlos is dead.

You abandoned him, and now he's dead.

Help me, Doctor!

They want to bury me again!

Let go of me!

-Hilda! -Let go of me!

Hilda!

Ángel!

Whether you like it or not, I helped you get ahead!

The aftershock could happen at any moment.

Look at me!

The aftershock could happen at any moment.

Right now, no one is safe.

No one is safe.

Ignacio…

You'll look out for your brother, right?

Ignacio, you have to promise me you'll always look after your brother.

You're gonna be a dad.

She's dilating. We're late.

We're doing a cesarean, urgently, come on. Anesthesia.

Scalpel. Ready?

Ángel.

Listen to me.

I need to know that you'll always take care of our child.

Yes.

Doctor, are you there?

-It's Rosario. -Rosario?

I can hear the babies.

They are alive!