Stateless uses a unique documentary style, creating a narrative as it follows the lives of three Dominicans during the 2016 election. The majority of the film is devoted to Rosa Iris, an immigration lawyer, and aspiring congresswoman. She introduces us to the documentary’s second subject, her cousin Juan Teofilo.
Teofilo is one of the approximately 200,000 Dominicans of Haitian descent who lost their citizenship due to a 2013 Dominican Supreme Court Ruling. Rosa is taking on his immigration case and travels out to a settlement on the Haitian/Dominican border to assess his documents and prepare him for the steps he has to take to get his updated citizenship papers.
The third subject is Gladys Feliz, an active and outspoken Dominican Nationalist. She acts as a sort of touchstone to broader Dominican political views. There is a longstanding border dispute between the two nations on the island of Hispaniola which stretches back to the early colonial period. Outspoken radical Dominican Nationalists seek to build a wall between the two countries and halt the movement of Haitians across the border.
Gladys and her counterparts express these and other views which place the majority of Dominican economic and social troubles on the backs of impoverished Haitian laborers who cross the border for work. Between government corruption and racism, many Dominicans who think along similar lines to Gladys find themselves in positions of political and bureaucratic power.
Stateless does an outstanding job of cramming a century-and-a-half of background history between segments that follow the three subjects. Mixed forms of footage, interesting editing, and the occasional interruption by a folk tale narrated over experimental cinema keep the viewer engaged. The use of both visual and thematic chiaroscuro beside the folk tale and the use of dramatic editing create a strong narrative that keeps the viewer watching until the very end.
The tale of Juan Teofilo is filled with sadness, frustration, joy, love, and humanity which is on display in many forms including candid film, hidden camera, and personal interviews. Placing hidden cameras on his person for his quest through the checkpoints to the government offices in Santo Domingo was absolutely genius and a must-see for any fan of documentary filmmaking. Rosa Iris’ own quest to win an election is filled with the same kinds of emotion and excitement, though on a different scale. Stateless comes highly recommended. Aud: C, P