Visitor's Day

Just outside Mexico City lies a half-century-old residential treatment center for boys who have been abandoned, abused, and/or have a history of pre-criminal behavior. Visitor's Day is a moving, often intimate documentary about this place—which carries the acronym of IPODERAC—that seems to offer a self-sufficient model in caring for some of society's young castoffs. The boys here receive quality counseling, get a solid education, and tend to a goat farm that yields artisanal cheeses—sales of which comprise 75% of the institution's budget. Filmmaker Nicole Opper spends a year at IPODERAC, following the experiences of several boys of different ages as they reap the benefits of the comprehensive program while continuing to deal with the emotional fallout of being neglected by remote family members. Opper particularly focuses on a young teen named Juan Carlos, a bright and serious boy whose ache for a distant father's attention is as intense as his commitment to succeed in school and life. Efforts to bring Juan and his dysfunctional dad together even for a heartbreaking moment here come across as deeply poignant. An interesting profile of an impressive program for troubled youth, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)