The Other Side of Immigration | |
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Movie poster
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Directed by | Roy Germano |
Produced by | Roy Germano |
Music by | My Morning Jacket Bright Eyes Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band Cuarteto Latinoamericano |
Edited by | Roy Germano |
Production
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Roy Germano Films
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Distributed by | Team Love Records |
Release date
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October 25, 2010 DVD |
Running time
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55 minutes |
Country | United States |
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The Other Side of Immigration is a 2010 documentary film directed by Roy Germano that explores why so many people leave the Mexican countryside to work in the United States and what happens to the families and communities they leave behind. The film is based on Germano’s interviews with over 700 households in Mexico, which he carried out while doing Ph.D. research on remittances at the University of Texas at Austin.The Other Side of Immigration is distributed by Team Love Records, a company founded by musician Conor Oberst.
Through interviews with people in Mexican towns where up to half of the population has gone to work in the United States, the first half of the film looks at the social, economic, and political causes of migration from Mexico to the US. The second half of the film looks at the impact of remittances in Mexican communities and the effects of emigration on families. The film concludes with discussion of guest worker programs and other solutions to illegal migration.
The film features music by Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, and Cuarteto Latinoamericano.
The Other Side of Immigration has been reviewed positively by various bloggers and educators. David Neiwert of Crooks and Liars called The Other Side of Immigration “a must-see for anyone serious about the subject.” Blogger Lisa Derrick of FireDogLake.com called the film a “beautifully shot documentary” that “shows the human side of immigration.” The blog Filmsweep said the film “packs more in its short running time than some docs do in twice its length.”Princeton University professor and immigration researcher Douglas Massey said that The Other Side of Immigration “…does more than any other work to give people otherwise disparaged as 'threatening' and 'illegal' a human face...”.The Huffington Post listed The Other Side of Immigration as one of "11 Documentaries About Immigrants Everyone Should Watch Right Now."The New York Public Library recommends The Other Side of Immigration on its list of "Films to Celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month."