Where the Tracks End

Young Ikal and his family live on a train traveling across the country. His father, Tomás, repairs and builds railroad tracks. This means the family never stays in the same place for too long. But at their last stop, Ikal meets Chico, a rebellious boy he admires; Valeria, an intelligent girl who will eventually teach him about one’s first love; Tuerto, another boy from the railway community; and Quetzal, a mutt who chooses Ikal as his new owner. The four friends study under Georgina, a relentless teacher who will do anything for her students with what little she has herself. Together, they will help Ikal feel like he belongs somewhere for the very first time. But a new threat approaches: Hugo Valenzuela, an inspector from the Department of Education is coming. He has the exhausting (and thankless) job of closing down rural schools, allegedly for the greater good. This means a lot of children no longer have the chance to continue their schooling. As Hugo tours the state carrying the files of the schools he must close, one jumps out at him: Malinalli Tepenepatl Public School -the school where Ikal has learned about the value of friendship, the importance of growing up, and the impact and inspiration teachers can have in their students’ lives.