'Roma' Mexico Screening Canceled Because Proceeds Were Designated for Migrant Caravan

The family at the beach at the end of the film.

Director Alfonso Cuaron criticized the government for the decision, adding, "We will find a way to bring the film to the people of Morelos and to help the caravan."

Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron is criticizing a state government's decision to cancel a screening of his memoir film Roma due to opposition over the proceeds going toward supporting the Central American migrant caravan.

From his Twitter account the Oscar-winning filmmaker said, "The @gobiernomorelos (Government of Morelos) decided to cancel the screening of Roma in cultural center @CCteopanzolco because it didn't want the screening to serve as a donation to the migrant caravan. It is a shame. If the government doesn't want this we will find a way to bring the film to the people of Morelos and to help the caravan."

The migrants could have used the aid. Earlier this week the government of Tijuana said it was running out of money to support the caravan. Tijuana has been spending about $30,000 a day to provide shelter to some 6,800 migrants, but the city says it can no longer afford the costly support.

Meanwhile in Morelos, about 53 miles south of Mexico City, the government issued a statement saying it is prioritizing fundraising events that will benefit the people of Morelos who are most in need, such as locals affected by a devastating earthquake that struck the region last year.

Roma producer Nicolas Celis expressed his disappointment on Twitter.

"As a Morelos native and son of a migrant, I would have loved to present the film in the cultural center and support the migrant caravan," he said.

Roma is currently playing at the state-run Cine Morelos, one of 60 art house theaters screening the film in Cuaron's native Mexico. A portion of the movie's profits in Mexico have been donated to various civil associations, but the film's distributor, Netflix, has no such agreement in place with the Morelos Culture Secretariat.

On Thursday, the New York Film Critics Circle named Roma the best picture of 2018, with Cuaron also earning director and cinematography honors.