Shocking Documentary ‘Spring of the Vanishing’ Unveils Mexico’s Disappearance Crisis at SBIFF

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The world premiere of Spring of the Vanishing is set to take place Monday night at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The documentary, directed by investigative journalist Andrew Glazer and produced by J. Weston Phippin, sheds light on the alarming crisis of disappearances in Mexico, where over 115,000 people were reported missing as of 2024.

The film challenges common perceptions of law enforcement and criminal activity in the city of Nuevo Laredo in Mexico. According to Glazer, many assumed that such disappearances were solely the work of drug cartels. However, Spring of the Vanishing uncovers a darker truth—that those entrusted to maintain order, the military, have also been responsible for abductions and killings.

“People tend to think that the military is the incorruptible part of Mexican law enforcement,” Glazer explained. “There’s no police in Nuevo Laredo because they were seen as corrupt and dissolved in 2008. The military took over, but they are trained to kill, not to investigate. They don’t build cases; they execute. That’s what we saw.”

The documentary’s release is particularly timely, given recent developments in U.S.-Mexico relations. Mexico's agreement to deploy more troops to its northern border, a response to pressure from the United States, raises concerns about the potential for increased military-led violence.

For producer J. Weston Phippin, the production of Spring of the Vanishing was not without its risks. Filming in Nuevo Laredo required constant vigilance. “When we walked across the border, our pictures were taken and sent to cartel intelligence centers,” Phippin recalled. “People would approach us, ask our names, what we were doing there. They’d check us out before letting us go on our way. Working in that environment was extremely challenging.”

Both Glazer and Phippin come from investigative journalism backgrounds and said they were drawn to the story due to its deep human impact. Glazer noted that his previous work in Nuevo Laredo and Phippin’s articles in Politico made them keenly aware of the broader implications of military involvement in civilian disappearances. “I saw a way of delving into all these big topics through the story of one family, one mother, and one missing child,” Glazer said.

Phippin, who has covered violence in Mexico for over a decade, emphasized the emotional weight of the project. “Back in 2010, 2011, I was in Juárez covering eight murders a day. Occasionally, I’d meet families whose loved ones were taken by the military and never seen again. This issue has been on my radar for years.”

The film’s premiere is expected to draw significant attention, not only for its gripping storytelling but also for its critical examination of law enforcement and human rights in Mexico. Audiences can attend Spring of the Vanishing on Monday, Feb. 10, at 8 p.m. at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Film Center, with an additional screening on Wednesday morning at 8:40 a.m.

Glazer and Phippin expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share this urgent story on an international stage. “We hope this film brings much-needed clarity to families searching for answers,” Glazer said. “And that it sparks the conversations necessary for change.”