MAAC invited La Revista Binacional to the film screening at the San Diego Latino Film Festival of “HOME IS SOMEWHERE ELSE”, an animated movie by Carlos Hagerman and Jorge Villalobos.
It was such a pleasant experience from start to finish. Hagerman and Villalobos bring you an animated story divided into three chapters.
The first phrases you hear are in Spanglish and it catches your attention as how the ‘language’ flows. Lalo “El Deportee” is the host of the film, where he shares his spoken word poetry and captures the audience with his unique way of introducing each story.
The magical focal point of the movie is that it makes you forget that you are watching an animated film and you get involved with the tone of the voices that narrate the real (and sad) stories of the protagonists.
Immigration issues and its crisis is a political matter that needs to be solved in the USA.
Empathy is what the directors want to express in this film, as well as a different way to approach the reality of the emotional stress and lives of immigrant children (Dreamers) and their families.
Home is Somewhere Else explains it all. Living in a country without legal permits makes you feel that you do not belong. Children of undocumented parents live in the fear of having your family deported. Dreamers get to their college education only to find out that they cannot continue to study because of their legal status. Jailtime, deportation, separation and anxiety of living in fear of authorities (that should really be there to help and not harm) summarize what the protagonists of each story feel and have gone through.
Each story is based on true life events and it is colorful, artistic and with a musical score and soundtrack that inspires you to listen and be aware of the immigrant stories that are within our community.
This movie will be shown in schools and theatres and is waiting for good sponsorship to make it available everywhere.
Congratulations to all the staff that created this masterpiece, to the San Diego Latino Film Festival for bringing this to our community and to MAAC for sponsoring this event.
