2501 Migrants: A Journey

Art and social commentary mingle in Yolanda Cruz's documentary about migration from rural Mexico to more economically vibrant locales, focusing on sculptor Alejandro Santiago. Santiago left his hometown of Teococuilco, Oaxaca, to pursue a career in art, living in France for several years. Visiting Teococuilco after his return, Santiago found the town much depopulated, because so many residents had left to work in the U.S. Santiago decided to fill the void by creating 2,501 sculptures to represent the departed, including one symbolizing himself. 2501 Migrants: A Journey follows his ambitious project, letting Santiago explain his motivation while also capturing setbacks (like a leak in the studio roof that damages many of the statues). Additional interviewees include young men helping in Santiago's workshop, as well as locals with relatives who have crossed the border or perished in the attempt. But Cruz doesn't ignore stories of material success: some villagers found jobs in the north and returned home comparatively wealthy, building villas on the ruins of abandoned houses (not surprisingly, these individuals don't share Santiago's melancholy feelings about a vanished way of life). Unlike most accounts about illegal immigration, which examine experiences in the U.S., this film looks at the effect emigrants have on the places they leave, with Santiago's work dramatizing the impact in a quietly powerful fashion. DVD extras include deleted scenes, extended interviews, and a photo gallery. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)