Opening 10 Nov 2016
Directed by:
Rafi Pitts
Writing credits:
Rafi Pitts
Principal actors:
Johnny Ortiz, Rory Cochrane, Aml Ameen, Darrell Britt-Gibson
Iraqi born director Rafi Pitts shows the struggles and desires of an illegal refugee. This film opens with Nero, a deported Mexican, who illegally returns to the U.S. to claim his citizenship. He feels that he is American and not Mexican. Nero meets the border fence which separates Mexico from the United States which symbolizes not only his identity crisis but his willingness to join the US military in order to get his Green Card. It is not a surprise that he would make such a choice after seeing rich mansions with elaborate furnishing, fast cars and beautiful women when he visits his brother in L.A. Soon he discovers that his brother is not the owner but just an employee. He decides that he will do whatever it takes to live the American dream. But when he opens his eyes, he realizes that he has now entered a living hell in a war in the Middle East. Will he make it back and will these efforts get him what he desires? This film questions the U.S. government’s decisions about economic refugees who are trying to better themselves by entering as illegal aliens with a program which may lead them to their deaths. This film was selected to participate in the competition section at the Berlinale. It opened my eyes to the fact that our government really does have such a program and about 8000 illegal immigrant do join the military every year in order to get their citizenship. (Shelly Schoeneshoefer)
