The Other Side of Immigration

The Other Side of Immigration

Movie poster
Directed by Roy Germano
Produced by Roy Germano
Music by My Morning Jacket
Bright Eyes
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Cuarteto Latinoamericano
Edited by Roy Germano
Production
company
Roy Germano Films
Distributed by Team Love Records
Release date
 October 25, 2010 DVD
Running time
 55 minutes
Country United States
Language

The Other Side of Immigration is a 2010 documentary film directed by Roy Germano that explores why so many people leave the Mexican countryside to work in the United States and what happens to the families and communities they leave behind. The film is based on Germano’s interviews with over 700 households in Mexico, which he carried out while doing Ph.D. research on remittances at the University of Texas at Austin.[1][2][3] The Other Side of Immigration is distributed by Team Love Records, a company founded by musician Conor Oberst.[4]

Synopsis

Through interviews with people in Mexican towns where up to half of the population has gone to work in the United States, the first half of the film looks at the social, economic, and political causes of migration from Mexico to the US. The second half of the film looks at the impact of remittances in Mexican communities and the effects of emigration on families. The film concludes with discussion of guest worker programs and other solutions to illegal migration.

The film features music by Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, and Cuarteto Latinoamericano.[5]

Reception

The Other Side of Immigration has been reviewed positively by various bloggers and educators. David Neiwert of Crooks and Liars called The Other Side of Immigration “a must-see for anyone serious about the subject.”[6] Blogger Lisa Derrick of FireDogLake.com called the film a “beautifully shot documentary” that “shows the human side of immigration.” The blog Filmsweep said the film “packs more in its short running time than some docs do in twice its length.”[7] Princeton University professor and immigration researcher Douglas Massey said that The Other Side of Immigration “…does more than any other work to give people otherwise disparaged as 'threatening' and 'illegal' a human face...”.[8]

Awards

•American Library Association 2011 List of Notable Videos for Adults.[9]

Border Fence Video

In December 2010, Roy Germano released footage of two women climbing the US-Mexico border fence as a promotional video for The Other Side of Immigration. The video attracted international press attention and debate about the fence project.[10][11][12][13][14][15] In interviews and on his blog, Germano has suggested that money spent on the US-Mexico border fence would be better invested in guest worker programs, programs that help immigrants integrate and learn English, and poverty reduction in Mexico.[16][17][18]

References

  1. ↑ Edwards, Lauren. "Student’s Work Leads to Insights on Immigrants — and a Documentary Film". University of Texas. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  2. ↑ Sinn, Jessica. "‘The Other Side of Immigration’: Q&A with documentary filmmaker". University of Texas. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Another Side of Immigration". The Economist. April 24, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Conor Oberst’s Team Love to Distribute Immigration Documentary". TwentyFourBit. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  5. ↑ "The Other Side of Immigration : FAQs (Music)". Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  6. ↑ Neiwert, David (January 24, 2011). "Securing the border: Why a fence will never work until we reform the system". Crooks and Liars. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Non-lollipop Docs". Filmsweep. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  8. ↑ "DVD Cover".
  9. ↑ "American Library Association. 2011 VRT Notable Videos for Adults.". Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Two Girls Scale Border Fence in 18 Seconds". Fox News Channel. January 20, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Border Fence Video Goes Viral". KVOA. January 5, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  12. ↑ Sullivan, Andrew (January 5, 2011). "A Strong Argument Against A Border Fence". The Daily Dish. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  13. ↑ Wing, Nicholas (January 18, 2011). "Two Girls Scale Border Fence In Under 20 Seconds". Huffington Post. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Drama de indocumentados". Telemundo. January 20, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  15. ↑ Jorge, Ramos (March 6, 2011). "Roy Germano on Al Punto with Jorge Ramos". Univision. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  16. ↑ Germano, Roy (January 16, 2011). "Border Fence Video Goes Viral". The Other Side of Immigration. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Two Girls Scale Border Fence in 18 Seconds". Fox News Channel. January 20, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Border Fence Video Goes Viral". KVOA. January 5, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
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