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Movie highlights reduced Juarez violence

EL PASO, Texas -- Filmmaker Charlie Minn is releasing his latest documentary-style movie. It looks at a recent and dramatic drop in murders in Juarez.

The murder rate is down ninety percent from two years ago, but it still hovers at around 40 murders a month...and all of it just a few hundred yards from the UTEP campus

Minn has some good news.

"I'm happy to report that more people are going back to Juarez as a result."

The murder rate is still very high, even for a city approaching two million people. Charlie calls it a war, and the images seem to confirm that.

"This is a very emotional war. It's depicted on film that way. I hope a peace movement can be started for Mexico. Just because in Juarez, the murder rate has gone down -- the rest of the country is suffering," said Minn.

I asked Minn if the violence could be reduced without corruption.

"Mexico has been known to be riddled with corruption, all forces of the police -- state federal, municipal politicians perhaps...your neighbor...we don't know who's who. Its one of the saddest stories in the world today."

One of the saddest stories -- and one of the reasons Charlie Minn traveled back to Mexico for a second film.

His first film set in Mexico, '8 Murders a Day' was released in 2011.

"I'm trying to give the victims a voice, I'm trying to give them help. They've been brutally cheated and they need a voice."

The movie premiers October 5 at the Mesilla Valley Mall in Las Cruces and in theaters across El Paso.

Minn will donate partial proceeds from the movie to victims of Juarez.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-prFihodPF8

Sloan Patton joined KRWG in August 2012 as assistant news director.