Table of Content
"Which Way Home" is a feature documentary film that follows unaccompanied child migrants, on their journey through Mexico, as they try to reach the United States. These are stories of hope and courage, disappointment and sorrow. They are the children you never hear about; the invisible ones. The star of 'Which Way Home' is Kevin, an extremely genial 14 year old from Honduras who hooks up with Fito, another youngster who is from his hometown. Both have goals of reaching the United States and finding employment there in order to send money back to their impoverished families. Director Rebecca Cammisa and her small film crew follow the children as they travel from Honduras, through Guatemela and on through Mexico, on top of freight trains.
Which Way Home is a 2009 documentary film directed by Rebecca Cammisa. The film follows several children who are attempting to get from Mexico and Central America to the United States, on top of a freight train that crosses Mexico known as "La Bestia" . Cammisa received a Fulbright Scholar Grant to make the documentary in 2006. The storyline is thought provoking, suspenseful and touching all at once. The producer does a wonderful job of using the disappearance of an adorable two year old boy, in the midst of one family's hustle and bustle. The sudden interruption in their daily routine causes not only them - but the entire community - to pause, call upon God and reflect on the important things in life.
What did you think of the movie? (optional)
Ten to twenty percent will die, on average just trying to get to America. The dangers of the children's' trip to the US is well documented in 'Which Way Home'. There is a jarring image of a dead body floating in the water near the Mexican-US Border.
An inspirational true story about how a rural community rallied around a distraught family to search for their missing two year-old boy and through doing so changed the lives of many of those involved. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Stay up-to-date on all the latest Rotten Tomatoes news! Tap "Sign me up" below to receive our weekly newsletter with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. Perhaps the most memorable images in 'Which Way Home' are that of the nine-year-old children, Olga and Freddie.
User reviews4
But I suppose the siren call of the mythical American Dream is too much for some to resist. Director Rebecca Cammisa wisely stays away from politicizing the situation, and the film is done without narration and only brief informational titles. However, this means there is also a lack of any proposed remedies to the problem. It seems to me these kids are better off sticking it out at home, at least until they're old enough to better fend for themselves.
Whatever the case, the material is very engaging as we get wrapped up in the plight of these young vagabonds. There are no featured reviews for Which Way Home because the movie has not released yet (). One thing I was surprised about was the number of social service groups throughout Mexico and Central America who are devoted to helping the child migrants. The 'House of Migrants' is a shelter near the train tracks in Mexico which gives the children some respite as they make their long journey to the US. The director there doesn't seek to judge the children and the adults who check in—although they do warn them about the perils of the journey, especially about crossing through the desert from Mexico to the US. Discover the stars who skyrocketed on IMDb’s STARmeter chart this year, and explore more of the Best of 2022; including top trailers, posters, and photos.
Movie Details
Olga and Freddy are a pair of nine year olds from Honduras who are headed to Minnesota to live with relatives. Another, Jose, a ten year old from El Salvador is abandoned by smugglers and ends up at a Mexican detention center. The most intriguing kid is a streetwise fourteen year old Honduran who has been sent by his mother to find work in New York City in order to send money back to her. The film is heartbreaking and the brave young kids are a testament to the yearning to survive of the human spirit and the cinematography is breathtaking. Every American should watch Which Way Home to gain a perspective on the struggles of the immigrants so often denigrated here; it is an eye opener. Which Way Home is a beautiful documentary filmed mostly from a freight train labeled, the beast by the children who mostly ride on the roof as they travel through Mexico on the treacherous journey to the good life in the United States.
One wonders how two nine-year-old's could possibly end up taking such a dangerous journey all by themselves. Unfortunately, the filmmakers lost track of Olga and Freddie and their fate is unknown. All promotional materials including but not limited to trailers, images and videos are all copyright to their respective owners. It would have been even better if the genius filming it would have spent another $100 for a decent camera tripod. The camera nauseatingly bounces all over like they're filming in a heard of buffalo, making over half of the movie unwatchable. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account.
The subject matter, the plight of child migrants in Latin America, is similar. However, 'Which Way Home' is a true-life documentary and 'Sin Nombre' is a fictional feature film. Each year, thousands of Latin American migrants travel hundreds of miles to the United States, with many making their way on the tops of freight trains. Roughly five percent of those traveling alone are children. As the United States continues to debate immigration reform, the documentary Which Way Home looks the issue through the eyes of children who face the harrowing journey with enormous courage and resourcefulness.
Some jerk sees this as an advertisement to immigration. It may be in about 1/100th of the film but I do not see it that way. I see several cultures thrown together trying to live. No one feeling sorry for themselves but rather just moving forward regardless. For those who've seen 'Sin Nombre' and liked it, you will also like 'Which Way Home'.
There's a great scene where the hearse driver brings the boy's body back to his parents and he's all broken up over so many of these cases he sees, almost everyday. This documentary follows several children trying to get to America from Central American or southern Mexico, entirely on their own. These are naturally sad stories, but I have to say they're hardly surprising. In fact, the most surprising thing is that the homes they're fleeing really don't seem THAT bad.
While Kevin appears fairly happy-go-lucky a good part of the time we see him, at other times he appears troubled. One of the most disturbing scenes in the film is when Kevin reveals he witnessed a gang rape while riding inside a boxcar of one of the freight trains where fifteen men ended up raping a mother and her young daughter. At one point, the filmmakers lose track of Kevin but they finally track him down where he's studying English at a detention center in Houston before being sent back to Honduras. Later, we find out that Kevin was last living at a youth facility in Washington State, after making it to the US following his second attempt. I had seen this Show soon after it was released on VHS.
During a screening of the film which I attended, there were a number of people in the audience who inquired as to how they could contact Kevin, since they wanted to help him. Also internet posters have expressed similar sentiments. It's difficult to describe why this kid is so likable—you really must see the film. When Kevin returns home to Honduras, we get some insight into why he wants to leave home again and it basically has to do with the conflict he has with his stepfather, who regards him as lazy and someone who's doesn't earn his keep.
No comments:
Post a Comment