Director Rebecca Cammisa's Oscar-nominated documentary about Latin American adolescents' attempts to illegally transport themselves to the United States offers an unflinching look at the desperation behind these dangerous journeys. Cammisa focuses mostly on a handful of train-hopping kids from Honduras who've left their families and are prepared to travel the nearly 1,500 miles it takes to reach the border by rail. Which Way Home conveys a profoundly disturbing sense of the futility and hazards involved—not just the possibility of injury or death due to falling off (or under) a train, but also the even more frightening possibilities of crossing the boundary with homicidal drug smugglers. For much of the film, Cammisa's camera closely follows the grueling trek of Kevin and Fito, who seem fairly typical of the younger emigrants—fleeing a broken home and convinced that if they can get to America they might be adopted by a prosperous family (others, like Olga and Freddy, are trying to reach relatives in Minnesota). These stories are presented with unvarnished straightforwardness as the teens respond to questions posed by an off-screen interviewer. Which Way Home doesn't attempt to offer any solutions to this complex social problem, but as a chronicle of the day-to-day struggles of these hardened youngsters and the casual way they cheat (or meet) death, this hard-knocks profile is powerful viewing indeed. DVD extras include deleted scenes and information from the National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children. Highly recommended. [Note: this is also available with public performance rights for $295 from Bullfrog Films, www.bullfrogfilms.com.] Aud: C, P. (M. Sandlin)
Which Way Home
(2009) 83 min. DVD: $29.99. Docurama (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4229-1045-8. Volume 26, Issue 2
Which Way Home
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