immigration

immigration


The following films from the multiple Media That Matters Film Festival collections explore the issue of immigration. For even more films on this issue, visit MediaRights.org.

Day Job

Sara Hopman
Filmmaker Sara Hopman

From the beginning, filmmaking and positive social change have always gone hand-in-hand for me. After working with non-profit organizations such as Environment California, the Human Rights Campaign, and CalPIRG, I was further inspired to use my strengths in filmmaking to help facilitate progress in our communities. In October of 2009, I had the opportunity to create a film that could make such an impact—Day Job.

We’ve all seen day laborers standing and waiting in public places, but most of us pass by without thinking twice. I wanted to discover the story behind these workers—who are they and what are their lives like? This is a current, pressing issue, commonly ignored by the media; this is a group of people with little to no voice in our society; this is happening right now, in my city, and many cities across the country.

During the making of my film, I found Faye, a temporary employer of laborers. She has an extraordinary perspective that I felt I had to share with the world. With the help of four translators, which included two crewmembers, I was able to record the images and voices of a shunned community, for all the world to see.


Official selection of the Tenth Annual Media That Matters

Exiled in America


Official selection of the Ninth Annual Festival

Immersion


Official selection of the Ninth Annual Festival

Isa’s Final Draft

Global Action Project
Global Action Project

The Youth Breaking Borders producers chose to focus on this issue because it directly impacts the majority of the group as well as many youth in the Immigrant community. By choosing to focus on the personal journey of a young undocumented woman, the youth producers highlighted both the interpersonal (an immigrant parent who doesn’t understand the institutional challenges that their child face) and institutional (the young person’s struggles with a system that blocks her from rights to an education) challenges that disempower their community. The filmmakers wanted to portray these struggles but also shed light on how the road to organizing starts with personal empowerment.


Official selection of the Media That Matters 11

La Hoja


Official selection of the Ninth Annual Festival

The Next Wave


Official selection of the Ninth Annual Festival

Vision Test


Official selection of the Third Annual Festival

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— Filmmaker Byron Hurt

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