Examining the migration of people from an ethnographic, archaeological, forensic, and up-close personal view, Border South delivers a glimpse of the hardships and even death facing migrants coming from Guatemala, Honduras, and other countries south of the United States border. The film follows the work of anthropologist Jason De Leon as he attempts to catalog the items left behind by migrants after they make their way across the desert and mountains of Arizona and Texas. A sober and revealing film, Border South takes no political stand on immigration; rather, the film attempts to bring attention to the vast number of people who endure hardships with humor and determination, as well as those who have disappeared, died, or been forced back. Jason de Leon, an anthropologist at the University of Michigan, directs the Undocumented Migration Project and performs field research to gather artifacts left by migrants: backpacks, shoes, socks, articles of clothing, broken glasses, books, newspapers. On one of his hikes his team discovers the body of a woman, and, Jason notes he has found bone fragments in the past. Concerned that the medical examiners are under-counting the number of lives lost, Jason conducts an experiment to show how remains quickly disappear. His group lays out an animal carcass dressed in human clothing and then watch as a large group of vultures descend and consume all of the remains. Sometimes individuals call Jason and ask him to locate a relative; this task can prove daunting as many individuals are undocumented. Border South personalizes the migrant’s journey. Charming and intelligent, Gustavo Alberto Lopez Quiroz leaves Nicaragua and attempts to make the trip north by jumping aboard a train. He is just thirty-one years old; while sleeping, he is shot by Mexican police and falls off the train. After leaving the hospital, Gustavo lives in a shelter and staff there file a human rights violation case on his behalf. A local politician supports Gustavo’s case and Gustavo is awarded a Mexican Humanitarian Visa. Gustavo spends over a year working in Mexico and contemplates trying to cross the border near Nogales; weighing the risks, he decides to return to Guatemala with his girlfriend Rosi and accept his new life. Along the trail, in Mexico, other individuals speak of their anxieties as immigration officials pose increased dangers with raids and criminals attempt to take advantage of migrants. A group of men tries to decide whether to jump aboard a train or walk a long distance. Jason de Leon speaks to a group of migrants in Southern Mexico who are about to set out on the 2,300-mile trail north. He describes his work and shows them a map with dots representing all of the people who have died in the wilderness after crossing the border. Border South offers a unique look at migration and the human beings who may get lost along the way. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Root)