Meet New Day: Sofian Khan and Andrés Caballero

Sofian is the founder of Capital K Pictures, a production company focusing on nonfiction content. Andrés is also a radio producer and journalist. As filmmakers both impacted by immigration (Andrés is from Argentina, Sofian is the son of immigrants), the story of people leaving their home to find opportunity has always attracted us. Much is lost and left behind, but the journey often has great rewards. Our film Gaucho del Norte follows South American migrant workers who are recruited by U.S. ranchers to work in the western United States as sheepherders on three-year contracts. It's a difficult lifestyle in an isolated and rugged environment far from home, but many make the journey every year to make a better life for their families back home. This story reflects a common immigrant experience in a very stark and beautiful way. We wanted to tackle the issue of immigration with an observational visual approach and an unconventional storytelling style, focusing on the personal journeys of immigrant sheepherders in an industry that is highly dependent on them. Our approach does not include many sit-down interviews or talking heads who analyze the issue of immigration and labor, but is rather focused on the immigrant journey with the hope that it captures the essence of the immigrant spirit. Minimal dialogue is also part of the approach in order to get a better sense of the loneliness that is part of the environment and daily struggle of immigrant sheepherders. Making the film was a real physical hardship, and in many ways our filmmaking struggle reflected the challenges the sheepherder himself was experiencing. We hiked the same terrain and weathered the same subzero temperatures (which several times froze the liquid crystals in the camera's LCD screen!). We chased after the herd to get the perfect shot, and were often left in the dust by the sheepherder and his dogs after rushing ahead to get in front of the herd. Finishing the film was like completing a rite of passage. Learn more about the work of Andrés and Sofian.