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The
Film:
This is a documentary. It is not a political
statement. Which Way Home
is an honest observation of children aged anywhere
from 8 to 17 traveling alone or with small groups that consist only of
others
their own age and facing similar predicaments. The Destination: the
United
States of America. To get to this land
of prosperity and potential employment (many of these children simply
wish to
find better work so they can send money home to help support their
parents,
brothers, and sisters) they must travel over 1,450 miles. Stop for a
moment and
think about this sad fact -- these are children
risking their lives. This film wishes to bring that point home to any
viewer
regardless of individual politics (right wing or left wing).
These
kids are coming from all over Mexico as well
as other areas of Central America. The traveling takes place primarily
aboard a
freight train called "The Best" by those who ride atop it. Many have
died
simply from falling off the train and being crushed by the mechanics of
it during
these travels. If only that was the main
obstacle. Many of these children will also be forced to cross a desert
to get
to their destination. Along the way they will also be placed in an
unsafe
environment. Those who go with smugglers might wind up being raped and
killed (even
boys), and others will be sold into slavery instead of being helped
across to a
better life in America.
This
is a heartbreaking documentary to watch. I cried
several times during the film. I am teary-eyed simply writing about
what I
witnessed. At one moment in the film, these documentary film-makers
interviewed
someone who was involved in security for border control. This man
detailed how
horrific it has been for him to find dead bodies and human bones around
the
border and even he became visibly upset by thinking about the
situation.
We
meet many different youths during and throughout
the documentary. There are two very young children, in particular, who
might
strike a chord with many viewers. They are both around 8 years old
(brother and
sister) and are trying to get to America to find their parents. At one
moment,
the girl begins to cry when describing how she wants to see her Mom
again - it has
been three years since she last saw her.
This
is a first-rate documentary largely in part to
the eye-opening nature of what is presented. The film raises questions
and discusses
issues that most of us don't usually think about. It may be that these
situations are not discussed frequently largely due to a lack of
awareness. Which Way Home raises the level of
awareness
in spades by presenting the stories through the eyes of these children
- they are
the interviewees as they travel towards America.
I
encourage readers to seek this documentary out and
to tell others about the film. We can only find solutions to these
issues by
continuing to raise awareness of them. The more people that know about
the
hardships faced by such young children, the more people will want to
help find
ways to help change the situation. If you are a parent, can you imagine
your
child traveling over 1,000 miles alone (as disturbing as that thought
surely
is)?
I
am not a parent. I can only state that I know that
when I was just a young child I would have felt completely helpless and
alone,
and I doubt I would have found the strength to persevere. This film
drives one point home quite clearly: that these children should not be
faced with such situations alone.
The
DVD:
Video:
Keep expectations in check. This
film looks like it has been shot with average at best digital
camcorders. It is
not a visually 'stunning' film in that regard and as a result it never
will be.
The transfer does seem to appropriately reproduce the product as it was
created
though and in that regard this release manages to excel. Please note
that the
1:85:1 transfer is presented with anamorphic enhancement.
Audio:
The audio presentation is surprisingly good for a
documentary filmed with circumstances one might assume as being
hindrances to
capturing good audio. While the audio is only available as a 2.0 track
the
sound more than gets the job done for this kind of material. There were
never
any moments in the film where I had trouble discerning speech and
that's what
matters the most here given the surrounding backdrops (such as trains).
The
score is also well defined and enhances the experience with what is
often surprisingly
lush music.
Extras:
The only extras included are
deleted scenes. Some of these scenes represent extensions to what was
already
show in the documentary film. These are interesting additions to view
at least once
but given the strength of the film on its own merits these additional
moments
may feel unnecessary to some.
Final Thoughts:
Which Way Home is one of the
most powerful
documentaries I have ever seen, and it opened my eyes to an issue I
never quite understood
or recognized as existing. It is an important film that should be seen
as a
tool to teaching others about immigration issues and the hardships
facing youth
in Mexico.
Highly
Recommended.
Please
Note:
If
you would like to help the children featured in the
film (and others like them) please make sure to visit the film's
website at whichwayhome.net.
Neil Lumbard is a lifelong fan of cinema, and a student who aspires to make movies. He loves writing, and currently does in Texas. |
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