Biography

Laura Perez(I)

Producer
Director
Writer

IMDbProStarmeter See rank

The Wall is a documentary about the construction of a 25-foot Fence along the US/Mexico border. In 2006, Congress passed The Secure Fence Act calling for the construction of over 700 miles of fence along the US/Mexico border. Fueled by the War on Drugs and the debate on Immigration Reform, politicians jumped at the chance to "secure our borders". They were not prepared for what followed. From policy makers to citizens of border towns in Texas, Arizona, and California, the debate elevates as residents respond to having a fence built in their backyard. Gloria Garza sat on her porch, in Granjeno, Texas. She was enjoying her stretch of land by the Rio Grande River, when a man from the Department of Homeland Security arrived with a piece of paper. He asked her to sign a letter granting permission to build a 25 foot wall on her property. She thought it was a joke. In Nogales, Arizona, Sheriff Tony Estrada, completed his routine check of the border wall. Since the border fence had been built, violence and immigrant deaths are steadily rising. This is not a policy he could believe in, but few were listening. Determined to stop immigrant crossing, the Minutemen had taken matters into their own hands. They patrolled the area intercepting immigrants and notifying border patrol. Armed with ammunition and an ideology, they openly advocated more fencing to help their objectives. At the epicenter of this controversy, Wilfredo and Adan are undocumented immigrants with a lot at stake. Wilfredo is trying to get across the border and will have to pass several layers of fencing and security. Adan waits for his father who must make the same dangerous trip he himself took several years earlier. How will their lives be changed by The Wall? Intertwining rare surveillance footage and controversial interviews, Martinez and crew often risked their own safety.

Play trailer1:33

The Wall (2010)

2 Videos

13 Photos

Laura is an award-winning director, producer and writer whose work focuses on underrepresented voices and marginalized communities. A third-generation Mexican-American raised near the Texas-Mexico border, she brings a unique cultural perspective to stories centered on identity, resilience, and social justice.

Laura co-wrote and produced the award-winning bilingual feature Harvest of Redemption, winner of Best Foreign Feature at the International Family Film Festival in Hollywood and distributed throughout the U.S. and Mexico. Her narrative feature The Place in Between explores motherhood, grief, and resilience through an authentic female lens and won the Founder' Favorite award at the Latina Independent Film Extravaganza Festival in Los Angeles.

She is the director and producer of American Orange, a documentary investigating a Texas border community plagued by environmental contamination and cancer while uncovering the town's hidden connection to the manufacturing of the world's most dangerous chemicals during the Vietnam War.

Throughout her career, Laura has championed inclusive storytelling and workforce development within the film industry, actively creating pathways for women, people of color, and other historically underrepresented communities. Laura continues to develop films that challenge conventional narratives, celebrate overlooked heroes, and foster meaningful social impact through the power of storytelling.