Cartas a Elena (2012): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2012, Cartas a Elena is a drama film directed by Llorent Barajas, running about 92 minutes.

What it’s about. In the beautiful hills of the Copper Canyon in Chihuahua, Mexico, a young boy (Emilio) is adopted by the mailman (Teo). As part of their daily tasks, they not only deliver the mail but read letters to the villagers, as well as take dictation, since most are illiterate. Young Emilio quickly learns to read and write but feels saddened by the mostly difficult stories sent by relatives, that moved north to Denver, Colorado in pursuit of a better future. One day Teo becomes disabled and Emilio takes over the mail route and with great imagination, he changes the letters to happy and optimistic stories. Within days, the village is transformed. The elders, once hopeless, lonely and sad, are now happy and enthusiastic, enjoying the "supposed" success their loved ones write from the United States. But the enjoyment is short lived, as they realize that all the wonderful stories are the same...

Who’s in it. Cartas a Elena stars José Eduardo Ochoa as Emilio, Gatilla as Elena, Carmen Salinas as Vieja Samora and Irma Dorantes as Vieja Soto, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.1/10, Cartas a Elena has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Disney Plus and Hulu and rent or buy it from YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Cartas a Elena page.

If you liked it. Fans of Cartas a Elena tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.