When discussing immigration reform, the building of a wall, or those who hold vigil against illegal entry into the United States, the vision of children traveling alone into the unknown is often absent. Rebecca Cammisa's film Which Way Home? begs the question: where do children belong whose parents are in the United States? Whose parents in Central American beg them to provide for the family? Whose parents abandoned them to the streets? Whose stepfather verbalizes not wanting them around?
Children as young as nine years old are seen in this film, facing unknown dangers. The sad ending of two young boys who did not survive the desert crossing are also included, making this a thought provoking and poignant account of the youngest victims of failed immigration policies. In a film of striking beauty and personal interviews as well as clips from the actual journeys of many young children, Which Way Home takes the viewer into unexpected territory as poverty and family dysfunction push young children on a search for a better tomorrow.
Which Way Home Reveals the Plight of the Youngest Immigrants
Most of the young children interviewed for this film are optimistic and hopeful that they will reunite with family members, or be afforded an opportunity to help their family financially when they make it to the United States. Few realize the dangers ahead, from deadly river crossings, rides on fast moving freight trains, potential assaults from smugglers, and traversing the desert heat in unknown terrain. The statistics are indeed saddening: over 100,000 children a year do not make the journey successfully. A hearse driver laments repatriating such victims daily. In Mexico, they have the Beta team, a group of people who exist to offer aid to immigrants. But once they pass the border, many are on their own. Some are raped and abandoned by their smugglers. Most suffer from hunger and cold. Some are picked up by authorities and returned home. And, way too many perish on the journey.
Rebecca Cammisa Directed A Powerful Documentary of Social Injustice
Above all, Ms. Camissa's film is about the inequities in life which leave people vulnerable: the families driven to sacrifice their own children to provide a better life; the parents who leave their children to pursue financial opportunities in the north; the children forced to leave due to abuse, poverty or despair. Which Way Home is a piercing statement on the voiceless who always seem to pay the highest price for life's injustices; it is also a film with stunning photography, stark emotional impact, and beautiful timing, sound and focus. One would hope that those who set immigration policy and determine funding for the poorest among us would first see this film. An important documentary; don't miss it.
- Movie site
- 82 minutes
- HBO Films
- A Mr. Mudd Production
- 2010 Academy Award nominee, Best Documentary
- Emmy Award, Informational Programming
- Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Grand Prize
- Image Award
- Independent Spirit Award
- La Mancha Humanitarian Award
- American Heritage Award, Public Service
- Humanitarian Activist Award
- Audience Award, Cine Las Americas Film Festival
- UNICEF Award, Havana International Film Festival
Barbara DeGrande - Barbara DeGrande is a writer, film critic, and blogger, with years of experience as a program developer. She has a Bachelor of Arts in ...
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