Crossing Our Borders

Latin America's miserable history of brutal dictatorial governments that rule with excessive violence and woefully inadequate economic prowess is the focus of Gladys Bensimon's documentary, which places much of its emphasis on Hugo Chavez's presidency in Venezuela. Admittedly, there's a great deal to detail about the Chavez approach to governing, ranging from human rights abuses to highly dubious financial transactions, as well as the explosive rise in the number of emigrants exiting Venezuela. But, of course, Chavez is hardly alone in terms of Latin American despotism: Chile's Pinochet, Peru's Fujimori, Cuba's Castro, and the generals who ran the Argentine junta created their own distinctive brands of political and economic chaos, resulting in the mass exodus of Latin Americans seeking refuge from their abusive regimes. Narrated by actress Maria Conchita Alonso, Crossing Our Borders combines commentary from a number of economists and academicians—who offer explanations on the terminal state of Latin American poverty and income inequality—with news footage and photographs that provide further evidence of a continent in a continual state of suffering. Unfortunately, however, this hour-shy production barely scratches the surface of the subject. Still, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)