RESOURCE:
Movie Screening Ideas
The following are some films that feature immigration issues
and can be used to foster conversations with friends, family,
co-workers, parishioners and others about just and humane immigration
reform. Related discussion guides are available for most
as noted.
A few of these DVD's are available on loan from MSJC –
Dying to Live, The Line in the Sand, One
Border One Body, and Posada. Contact Jim
Vogt at jimvogt2@yahoo.com.
Dying to Live* (33 minutes)
draws on the insights of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers,
theologians, church and congressional leaders, activists, musicians
and immigrants themselves to explore the places of conflict, pain
and hope along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Farmingville* (78 minutes, available through
Netflix or for purchase on the movie’s website)
shares the stories of residents, day laborers and activists on
all sides of the immigration debate in a small Long Island town
that was the site of hate-based attempted murders.
Made in L.A.* (70 minutes, available through
Netflix or for purchase at the film’s website)
follows the remarkable true story of three Latina immigrants working
in Los Angeles garment sweatshops as they embark on a three-year
odyssey to win basic labor protections from a trendy clothing
retailer. The story sheds light on the contradiction of
consumers who take an anti-immigration stance while at the same
time benefiting from products made with cheap labor.
The Line in the Sand: Stories from the US/Mexico Border
(49 mins.)
This powerful stage performance dramatizes the perspectives of
ranchers, government officials, activists and migrants on the
US/Mexico border. It reflects the sincerity and variety of these
different perspectives and effectively conveys the pains, hopes,
and questions of our very complex immigration issue.
One Border One Body (30 minutes)
depicts an annual Eucharistic celebration along the fence that
separates Mexico and the U.S. and the uniting of people beyond
the political constructions that divide them.
Papers (feature-length documentary, available
for purchase through the website)
tells the story of undocumented youth and the challenges they
face as they turn 18 without legal status and little opportunity
to pursue college or legal work. It provides a good context
for advocacy on the DREAM Act.
Posada (55 minutes)
portrays the journeys of three teenagers who left their homes
in Central America for the United States and then found themselves
detained for months by immigration officials. They relate their
stories to Las Posadas, the Mexican tradition that retells the
Christmas story of Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter.
The Visitor* (feature-length drama, available
through Netflix)
tells the story of a disillusioned college professor and a young
immigrant couple whose lives are forever changed by a chance encounter.
It shows the pain of family separation, the loneliness of detention
facilities, the complexity of human emotions within a broken immigration
system and the resurgence of the human spirit.
Welcome to Shelbyville (70 minutes)
takes an intimate look at a southern town as its residents –
whites, African Americans, Latinos and Somalis – grapple
with their beliefs, their histories and their evolving ways of
life. This will be airing on PBS’ Independent Lens
in May 2011. Meanwhile, you may find information on screenings
around the country here.
*A guide to discussion and theological reflection available
for these films through Sojourners.
|