Immigration in the United States is a highly charged political issue. As with other such political issues, the fact that the issue involves real people is often lost in the rhetoric. Beneath the war of words and ideas are real human stories of drama and sacrifice and fear and hope. To be aware of these stories is to put a human face to the debate.
A couple of years ago, Tommy Lee Jones wrote and directed and acted in a strange, but good, movie called The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. It tells a good story, and explores the many ambiguities of a debate involving the lives of real men and women, on both sides of the issue.
Under the Same Moon is a film from 2007 which follows the story of a mother and her son who end up separated at the border, the boy taken in by his grandmother has to remain in Mexico, and the mother finds her way to Los Angeles, where she works hard to find a way to bring her young son to be with her. In time, the grandmother dies, and the son, now nine, finds a way to cross the border, and pursues a journey to find his mom.
This is not a ‘real’ story in the sense that there are too many unlikely things which happen. And yet, the story is painted on a canvas from a world very real, but obscured to many of us. Movies take me often into the worlds of the rich and the violent. This one takes me into another world which is worthy of the visit.
The story is a wonderful drama, well filmed, well acted, well told. It portrays many acts of sacrifice, one of which I have not been able to forget.
TulipGirl
It's been interesting to learn more tidbits of immigration history in the US from Hubby and his studies. . . Interesting to see the differences between times when the patterns were come to the US, work, return home, repeat. . . and the times when it has been flee the home country, assimilate, settle. Interesting to see the push/pull factors in immigration, the impact over generations. . . But like you said, these are theoretical ideas explaining what we see — and sometimes looking at these the individuals involved area lost.
Randy Greenwald
Absolutely, the debate about immigration is a thorny one. But while the debate is going on, there are people who are living their lives. And stories arise there. The political implications of the movie are there, but subtle, and do not get in the way of the story of a boy and a mom wanting to reconnect, and the sacrifice that allows them to do so. Thanks.