Luke Lorentzen’s “Midnight Family” has been a hit at discerning film festivals for the better part of a year and was recently given an outing on the British arthouse cinema circuit. The action-packed film, set in Mexico City, follows the Ochoa family as they prowl the streets in their private ambulance hoping to catch a call via a police radio scanner. The vehicle is manned by stoic father Fer and teenage son Juan, who is old beyond his years and often takes charge of a situation. They are joined by annoying kid brother Josué, who seems to be doing little more than skipping school and stuffing his face with chips or chocolate.

When they hear of someone requiring urgent medical assistance, the Ochoas set off at high speed, siren blaring, with little regard for other traffic or pedestrians, other than to shout via loudhailer for them to get out of the way. They need to be first at the scene to perform first aid or triage, and then transport the patient to hospital. This is reality in Mexico City, where there are just 45 government ambulances to support a population of around 9 million. Private ambulances are left to, quite often literally, pick up the pieces, and are eager to do so if there is a chance they can scam a patient or their family.

Watch the trailer to “Midnight Family”

Lorentzen films the ambulance chases like a Formula 1 movie and takes his audience along for an adrenalin rush of a ride in the Ochoa’s rattling vehicle as they overtake rivals and whizz through short cuts.

Some tough decisions are taken. Can the Ochoa’s afford the risk of taking a patient to the private hospital that will pay them the most, or do they plump for the closest hospital in order to save a life? Is the patient insured or will they have to beg for their fee? Should they pay the police a bribe?

Lorentzen doesn’t take sides, and allows the audience to ponder the morality of it all. The Ochoas are just another family trying to scrape a living in what can be a ruthless city. They do save lives. But they are also often unscrupulous and even not averse to getting money from the mother of a patient who dies in their vehicle before it can reach hospital. But the whole system is corrupt and open to abuse, so who are the real bad guys?

Delano is picking a film of the day from the programme every day throughout the Lux Film Fest. Duncan Roberts is a member of the festival’s selection committee.

“Midnight Family” is shown on Wednesday 11 March at 7pm at Ciné Utopia.