REVIEW: Wetbacks on Film
"People get desperate when they don't have money for food."
So says Milton, a Nicaraguan immigrant whose efforts to reach the United States in search of a better life are captured in the 2005 National Geographic film, Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary.
Filled with incredible interviews from border patrol agents, vigilantes, researchers, migrant shelter workers and mostly the immigrants themselves, the award-winning documentary, written and directed by Arturo Perez Torres, presents the issue of illegal immigration from a unique perspective; that of the Central Americans.
The film begins with a Webster's Dictionary definition of “wetback,” referring to those who enter the United States illegally by wading or swimming across the Rio Grande. Fast forward to where we meet Nayo and Milton, whose journey from Nicaragua to almost the Mexico-U.S. border becomes the focus for the first half of the film. Together, they leave behind their families, friends, and a life that provides little opportunity beyond simple survival to travel 2,000 miles by bus, train, and foot out of Nicaragua, through Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and finally into Mexico. There, they are caught by Mexican border patrol, robbed of their remaining money, and sent back to Guatemala, where they said they were from to avoid being shipped to Nicaragua and having to start the whole thing over again.
The rest of the movie depicts other aspects of the journey: the shelter and aid given by church-run safe houses; experiences with border officials and police officers; run-ins with gangs, who specialize in robbing, raping, and killing undocumented travelers; the perils involved in hitching a ride on trains; the network of information sharing between immigrants; how they get their famous name - crossing the Rio Grande; the efforts and beliefs of vigilante groups on the other side of the border; and why there is a "hidden economic interest" for the U.S. to keep illegal immigration alive.
Despite the sometimes dizzying shake of the film, as the cameraman interviews immigrants under the dark of night and sits in the passenger side of border patrol vehicles, Wetback is an enjoyable cinematic experience. The soundtrack is fun and interesting and the images aid in developing the various moods of the film. The viewer even gets to see the immigrants pass strategically-placed local bands playing songs about immigration and the American Dream.
However, be prepared for an emotional roller-coaster ride. In one instant, you will chuckle as an immigrant laughingly describes how he cleverly avoided the police; the next will find you angry and indignant as others describe their terrible treatment. The statistics and facts that flash across the screen with shock you and the interviews with bounty-hunteresque vigilantes with make you pull out your hair, even if one or two of their points might be valid in retrospect. Then you will find tears welling in your eyes as you hear the stories and see the white bandage-wrapped stumps of train victims.
For those interested, be warned: the film isn't the easiest to find. You won't be able to run to your nearest Blockbuster or Hollywood Video to pick up a copy. There are plenty on the Internet, if you're willing to wait a few days, but for those who only wish to rent it, you might have to seek out less commercialized venues.
For more information about this movie and to watch an interview with the director, click here.
Visit the official website at Open City Works.
So says Milton, a Nicaraguan immigrant whose efforts to reach the United States in search of a better life are captured in the 2005 National Geographic film, Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary.
Filled with incredible interviews from border patrol agents, vigilantes, researchers, migrant shelter workers and mostly the immigrants themselves, the award-winning documentary, written and directed by Arturo Perez Torres, presents the issue of illegal immigration from a unique perspective; that of the Central Americans.
The film begins with a Webster's Dictionary definition of “wetback,” referring to those who enter the United States illegally by wading or swimming across the Rio Grande. Fast forward to where we meet Nayo and Milton, whose journey from Nicaragua to almost the Mexico-U.S. border becomes the focus for the first half of the film. Together, they leave behind their families, friends, and a life that provides little opportunity beyond simple survival to travel 2,000 miles by bus, train, and foot out of Nicaragua, through Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and finally into Mexico. There, they are caught by Mexican border patrol, robbed of their remaining money, and sent back to Guatemala, where they said they were from to avoid being shipped to Nicaragua and having to start the whole thing over again.
The rest of the movie depicts other aspects of the journey: the shelter and aid given by church-run safe houses; experiences with border officials and police officers; run-ins with gangs, who specialize in robbing, raping, and killing undocumented travelers; the perils involved in hitching a ride on trains; the network of information sharing between immigrants; how they get their famous name - crossing the Rio Grande; the efforts and beliefs of vigilante groups on the other side of the border; and why there is a "hidden economic interest" for the U.S. to keep illegal immigration alive.
Despite the sometimes dizzying shake of the film, as the cameraman interviews immigrants under the dark of night and sits in the passenger side of border patrol vehicles, Wetback is an enjoyable cinematic experience. The soundtrack is fun and interesting and the images aid in developing the various moods of the film. The viewer even gets to see the immigrants pass strategically-placed local bands playing songs about immigration and the American Dream.
However, be prepared for an emotional roller-coaster ride. In one instant, you will chuckle as an immigrant laughingly describes how he cleverly avoided the police; the next will find you angry and indignant as others describe their terrible treatment. The statistics and facts that flash across the screen with shock you and the interviews with bounty-hunteresque vigilantes with make you pull out your hair, even if one or two of their points might be valid in retrospect. Then you will find tears welling in your eyes as you hear the stories and see the white bandage-wrapped stumps of train victims.
For those interested, be warned: the film isn't the easiest to find. You won't be able to run to your nearest Blockbuster or Hollywood Video to pick up a copy. There are plenty on the Internet, if you're willing to wait a few days, but for those who only wish to rent it, you might have to seek out less commercialized venues.
For more information about this movie and to watch an interview with the director, click here.
Visit the official website at Open City Works.