Home Film Reviews. May 12, pm PT. By Ronnie Scheib Plus Icon. International sales: Cactus Three, New York. Directed by Rebecca Cammisa. Also in Hot Docs. Running time: 83 MIN. Spanish, English dialogue Music By:. More From Our Brands. Sportico Pop-A-Shot 3. Expand the sub menu Film. Expand the sub menu TV. Meet the students:. Looks at questions of identity who are we in this new place?
How do we keep alive our traditions? Lucas ; directed by Ric Dupont. Seventeenth in a series on events that shaped the American nation.
More than 35 million people came to America in the century between and , and their story is told in this moving portrayal of one family that arrives in the United States from Poland in The hopes and conflicts of all immigrants are seen through the eyes of the boy Janek, and in a warm scene at the program''s close, Janek the man looks at his dreams of a lifetime being realized through his grandchildren..
Immigrant nation! In particular, it is the story of the struggle of Elvira Arellano, a single mother from Chicago, who fought her deportation.
The film also interweaves the stories of individuals, organizations, activists and community leaders united by passion and a concern for justice. This film illustrates the opposition to the controversial HR immigration bill as well as the ongoing struggle and demand for comprehensive immigration reform.
Each year, the U. These prisons have grown into a highly privatized, lucrative and abusive industry that profits off misery. We're doing everything we can to expose the abuses of the deportation industrial complex.
In our new film, we explore conditions inside these prisons, exposing substandard medical care, widespread physical and sexual abuse, virtual slave labor working conditions and more. These abuses happen behind closed doors with little to no oversight. This film, created in partnership with advocates for detainee rights, is shining a light on a particularly dark corner of the American justice system.
Streaming video from America History in Video. Immigration - Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, Inc. A dramatized scene in a European steamship office is used to show the economic, political and religious motives for immigration. Produced for the History Channel. Hosted by Maria Hinojosa. Is it a solution, or part of the problem? NOW catches up with two New Jersey mayors who have sharply different -- and politically surprising -- approaches to dealing with undocumented immigrants in their communities Alien nation?
NOW travels to Indiana to interview politicians, naturalized citizens, and business leaders on the politics of immigration. Also, an Interview with former U.
Addresses immigration in the Upper Peninsula. Frontline New York, NY. Streaming video available from Filmakers Library. Why has it been so hard for Washington to fix America's broken immigration system? Go behind closed doors in Washington's corridors of power to explore the political realities surrounding one of the country's most pressing and divisive issues. Discussions among the eight speakers range from the punitive legislation being considered as 'reform' to persecution along the U.
It is an election year, and the economy is in a downturn. The United States is a nation founded on immigration , however, with every new wave of immigrants, social and economic pressures often cause a backlash. This heats up the debate within the political arena. The most recent wave of immigrants, both legal and illegal, is from Latin America, with the majority coming from Mexico I Videocassette : Film deals with the social and economic reasons people immigrated to America.
Beverly Hills, Calif. Trying to run away from their grief, they move illegally to a junkie-infested apartment building in New York City with their two daughters, Christy Sarah Bolger and Ariel Emma Bolger. Though they struggle with meager jobs and suffocatingly hot weather, a friendship with an artist in an apartment below them Djimon Hounsou, Gladiator becomes a catalyst that allows them to rebuild their family. In America is splendidly acted throughout--of particular note are the two girls, real-life sisters whose on-screen charisma is clearly a family trait.
But it's Morton who anchors the movie; her every emotion seems to glow from her skin. The commitment of the actors keeps the movie compelling, despite some dangerously sentimental patches. Streaming video from the Internet Archives : From , Ellis Island was the port of entry for millions of European immigrants.
Fascinating archival footage tells the moving story of families with dreams of opportunity, leaving their homes with what they could carry. J Videocassette : A tribute to the over 12 million immigrants entering the United States between Part of the American Experience series.
Journey to freedom : the immigrant experience. J Video 12 inch disc : This program uses vintage photographs and newsreel footage to tell the story of American immigration over the past century. Mezey ; written, directed and edited by David Riker. F67 C VideoDVD : Tells four stories about recent immigrants to New York City: a group of day-laborers scavenging for bricks; two teenagers from the same hometown who meet and fall in love; a homeless father who tries to enroll his daughter in school; and a garment worker who seeks justice in the sweatshops.
Streaming video from the Filmakers Library : Every year thousands of migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala leave their families and homes in Central America in their attempt to make a life for themselves in "El Norte" the U. Staking everything they own on a one-way trip to the promised land, they encounter police abuse, robbery, extortion, rape and even murder at the hands of Mexicans.
Ironically, Mexicans face similar hardships when they try to enter the U. This powerful documentary tells the stories of the desperate Central American men, women and children who put their lives on the line for a dream they can never be sure to reach Cristina, a Honduran woman, had left her daughter behind in the hope of finding a job in the U. She got stopped at the border, when Mexican authorities wouldn't let her leave until she could pay the "coyotes" people smugglers.
She finally made it to Houston, where she started working. Since the film was made, the trains leaving Chiapas for the north were suspended and thousands of migrants were stranded in Chiapas without food or money.
Military forces and police dealt with the situation by means of massive deportations and human rights violations. Streaming video from the Filmakers Library : This film celebrates the long and rich tradition of Latin culture in this country in its vivid portrayal of Ybor City, Florida.
This multicultural community was founded in the 's, when Cuban, Spanish and Italian immigrants arrived to work in the thriving cigar factories. It flourished until World War II when the effects of assimilation, urban renewal and the decline in the cigar industry led to its demise The film captures the colors, rhythms, and texture of this close-knit, ethnic enclave. Here people played dominoes over a cup of cafe con leche, socialized at the dance clubs, and took pride in a perfect, hand-rolled cigar.
Although they experienced hard times and discrimination, they always had a protective community to fall back on. H7 C Video : "We build the buildings, we do the hardest jobs, and still they don't want us. Wolper Student Achievement Award. While socio-political and economic issues provide the much-needed context, the film's spine and focus are Ramon and Juan, as well as the day labor site where they wait for work, as we follow a year in all three lives.
Through the story of the day labor site moving into a residential neighborhood, we learn about some of the obstacles faced by immigrants, including the misconceptions that can lead to discrimination.
Through Ramon and Juan, the complexities of immigration and labor issues are given a rarely seen human quality. Even if they're American, they can't tell me I can't work to support my family.
S77 L67 VideoDVD : The journey of two teenage Sudanese boys, orphaned by their war torn country, who traveled to America looking for a safer environment and learning to cope with the unfamiliar complexities of contemporary American society. FrontLine, Available as streaming video from PBS Video Collection : More than one million immigrants have been deported since President Obama took office, deportations and detentions have reached record levels.
The get-tough policy has brought complaints of abuse and harsh treatment. FRONTLINE investigates Obama's enforcement strategies and journeys into the secretive world of immigrant detention, with a penetrating look at who is being detained and what is happening to them. The issue of worker's rights is introduced in the film through Dynamic Workers, a collective of women who have formed their own business to provide job security and benefits, and Domestic Workers Association, a support organization providing information and advocacy.
L89 M VideoDVD : Manuela and Ben Aparicio, sister and brother, brought by their parents in search of a better future, arrived in the United States from a rural village in Mexico to an ethnically divided community in California. Twenty years later, they share their stories of dislocation and their determination to succeed. They sensitively portray their struggles to learn English, resist efforts to be pushed into vocational programs, go on to universities, and help other immigrants achieve and find balance in the changing demographics of American society.
Their story of claiming a place poses critical questions about identity, adaptation and survival in a multicultural world. Streaming video from the Filmakers Library : Starkly shot in black and white, this multi-festival film captures the unabashed xenophobia of a number of Americans living in California along the U.
They are reacting to the influx of undocumented aliens, who they believe are draining community resources and committing crimes.
Nativist organizations have been formed such as "Light Up The Border" which masses cars along the border with head-lights blazing at possible intruders The film critiques the nativist position by contrasting the professed love of country with racist and anti-democratic attitudes. One white-haired couple advocates machine-gunning down a few at the border as a warning. Other residents complain that "the illegals bring drugs and disease, multiply like rabbits, fill up the jails, and go on welfare.
New American Soldier contemplates two of the most debated issues in US politics today: immigration and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through the stories of real people on the front lines, this powerful documentary gives us a better understanding of the people who are fighting this war, and what it means to be American. The detailed portraits of these immigrants not only result in a kaleidoscope of immigrant life but offer their first impressions of America.
Background information from P BS. Through an approach that is both subtle and thought-provoking, filmmaker Roy Germano provides a perspective on undocumented immigration rarely witnessed by American eyes, challenging audiences to imagine more creative and effective solutions to the problem. Streaming video from the Filmakers Library : You can say you're sorry, you can apologize, but you can't give back the hours, the minutes, the months a family has been broken up. Before, there was an implicit understanding between the INS and immigrant communities that people who had applications pending to legalize their status couldreside in the country until an application was approved.
The Muslim community, today, is alone among the vast immigrant population to face such targeted enforcement Out of Status follows four families whose lives were permanently altered. P36 VideoDVD : "Papers" tells the story of undocumented students and the challenges they face as they turn 18 without legal status. The film addresses the history of immigration and immigration reform, as well as issues of identity, exclusion, migration, labor history, education, depression, scape-goating and racism.
Currently there are over two million undocumented children who were born outside the U. They were educated in American schools, hold American values and know only the U. Yet, according to current immigration law, they are "illegal immigrants. What they truly desire is to pursue their dreams and contribute to the country they call home. Sixty-five thousand undocumented students graduate every year from high school without "papers" and find the door to their futures slammed shut.
It is against the law for them to work or drive. It is difficult, if not impossible, to go to college in many states. For the majority of these young people, there is no path to citizenship. The challenges these students face and their organized efforts to pass the DREAM Act are brought to light in this feature-length documentary chronicling one of the most critical civil rights struggles of our time. The film was directed by Anne Galisky and produced by Rebecca Shine of Graham Street Productions, in conjunction with El Grupo Juvenil, the "Papers" youth crew, and is backed by an original hip-hop soundtrack debuting the new songs "Without Papers" and "Butterfly.
We take you behind the scenes into the memory-haunted ruins of unrestored Ellis Island. Narrated by Telly Savalas. Streaming video from the Filmakers Library : After being tortured and narrowly escaping execution during Liberia's civil war, Rosevelt Henderson makes his way to America to start his life over again in a strange country. He brings his three children with him but is forced to leave his pregnant wife behind.
After years of struggle and deprivation, Rosevelt and his family are finally able to enjoy the prosperity and freedom that drew them to this country. Access limited to the MSU community and other subscribers. California : Focus Features, Along the way, she crosses paths with a teenaged Mexican gang member, El Casper, who is maneuvering to outrun his violent past.
Together they have to rely on faith, trust and street smarts if they are to survive their increasingly perilous journey towards the hope of new lives. In , Sam and Elida Mejia left Guatemala during a violent civil war and brought their one-year old son, Gilbert, to California. They had two more children, Helen and Dulce, who are both U. Sam, Elida, and Gilbert were all undocumented and became deeply entangled in the U.
After a passionate fight to keep the family together, Sam and Elida are deported and take Dulce with them back to Guatemala Beverly Hills, CA. M27 S VideoDVD : Adapted from a Will Weaver story, Ali Selim's Sweet Land is a truly sweet story about unlikely immigrant lovers whose struggle for integration into 's America earns them a work ethic more American than many of their narrow-minded neighbors.
Set in rural Minnesota, the sentimental film focuses on tribulations that Scandinavian settlers experienced, with a cinematic serenity reminiscent of Terrence Malik's Days of Heaven. Norwegian farmer Olaf Torvik Tim Guinee invites a non-English speaking German siren, Inge Alltenburg Elizabeth Reaser , to relocate and marry him, but discovers that neither the town's Lutheran pastor John Heard nor the local judge will marry a German into their community for fear of wartime German spies.
Inge finds friendship in neighbors Frandsen Alan Cumming and his wife, Brownie Alex Kingston , who disregarding local gossip, welcome her into their home. Finally, Inge proves herself, settling in so that Sweet Land's historical narrative is framed by Inge, fifty years later, speaking to her adult son about her husband's death and their plot of land. This multi-generational tale of social acceptance and land ownership is ultimately the story of America, though the regional specificity of Sweet Land will speak especially to those familiar with Midwestern culture.
Transforming America : U. Another, Jose, a ten year old from El Salvador is abandoned by smugglers and ends up at a Mexican detention center. The most intriguing kid is a streetwise fourteen year old Honduran who has been sent by his mother to find work in New York City in order to send money back to her. The film is heartbreaking and the brave young kids are a testament to the yearning to survive of the human spirit and the cinematography is breathtaking.
Every American should watch Which Way Home to gain a perspective on the struggles of the immigrants so often denigrated here; it is an eye opener. Details Edit. Release date January 31, United States. United States. English Spanish. Documentress Films Mr. Mudd Reason Pictures.
Technical specs Edit. Runtime 1 hour 30 minutes. Related news. Nov 13 Women and Hollywood. Contribute to this page Suggest an edit or add missing content. Top Gap. What is the English language plot outline for Which Way Home ?
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