In a powerful new film, director Pamela Yates and producer Paco de Onís explain why the border is everywhere for immigrants.
Screening tomorrow evening at The Triplex Cinema, “Borderland | The Line Within” shows immigrants and activists taking on the militarized border industrial complex in this country.
At a time of wobbly democracy, “Borderland” steadied me in unexpected ways, visually and narratively. If you saw Ronan Farrow’s 2024 film “Surveilled” or Errol Morris’s 2024 doc “Separated,” you will recognize the interconnected themes right away.
What sets “Borderland” apart is the degree to which it challenges the political moment right now. And challenge it we must.
As the film opens, three digital humanists grab viewers’ attention with stunning maps that show an omnipresent borderland for immigrants to the U.S. The film also follows two individuals who recount the process of immigrating here.
This is how we meet Gabriela Castañeda and Kaxh Mura’l. Castañeda grew up in the Valley of Juarez, moving to El Paso when she was 15. Mura’l grew up in a Mayan community in the highlands of Guatamela.
Hearing them tell their own stories about fleeing violence and poverty on an unimaginable scale is the reality check we all need. Indeed, this is precisely what Gabriela and Kaxh offer with courage and determination.
At the heart of Yates’ film is the question of who profits from the border industrial complex in this country. An important question everyone should ask, for Yates the answer is clear. At the same time, her conclusion might surprise you. The corollary question—who loses—also begs our undivided attention and is arguably more consequential.
In an email, Yates noted:
We are pleased to present BORDERLAND | The Line Within in Great Barrington so that people can understand who is profiting from the suffering of immigrants.
There is a significant Mayan community in the Berkshires, and one of the principal protagonists in the film Kaxh Mura’l is Mayan. We hope that the film can be a catalyst for the Berkshire community to rally and to network for the protection of immigrants.
We would all do well to watch a serious film like “Borderland | The Line Within” and then talk about plans for immigration crackdowns.
Nothing I have heard about these plans addresses the root causes of asylum seeking. Nothing about detention surges gives me hope about due process. And nothing about deportation offensives promotes the American Dream.
Get up, get dressed, and go see “Borderland | The Line Within” at The Triplex Thursday, February 13, at 7 p.m.
