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The Other Side of Immigration

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The Other Side of Immigration
Movie poster
Directed byRoy Germano
Produced byRoy Germano
Edited byRoy Germano
Music byMy Morning Jacket
Bright Eyes
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Cuarteto Latinoamericano
Production
company
Roy Germano Films
Distributed byTeam Love Records
Release dates
  • April 2009 (2009-04) (Las Vegas International Film Festival)[1]
  • October 25, 2010 (2010-10-25) (DVD)
Running time
55 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages

The Other Side of Immigration is a 2009 documentary film directed by Roy Germano. It 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.[2][3][4] The Other Side of Immigration was distributed on DVD by Team Love Records, a company founded by musician Conor Oberst.[5] On September 6, 2019, Roy Germano and Team Love released The Other Side of Immigration in full on Germano's YouTube channel.[6] Roy Germano teaches International Relations at New York University and is the author of a book about remittances called Outsourcing Welfare.[7][8][9] Germano is also a Senior Research Scholar at the New York University School of Law.[10]

Synopsis

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The Other Side of Immigration is based on 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.[11]

Reception

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The Other Side of Immigration has been reviewed positively by various bloggers, educators, and news websites.

  • David Neiwert of Crooks and Liars called The Other Side of Immigration “a must-see for anyone serious about the subject.”[12]
  • 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.”[13]
  • 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...”.[14]
  • The Huffington Post listed The Other Side of Immigration as one of "11 Documentaries About Immigrants Everyone Should Watch Right Now."[15]
  • The New York Public Library recommends The Other Side of Immigration on its list of "Films to Celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month."[16]
  • The Other Side of Immigration was listed as the "Best Documentary" on The Hill's list of "The 11 best civil rights movies of all time."[17]
  • Bustle listed The Other Side of Immigration as one of "12 Documentaries About Immigrants That'll Educate and Affect You."[18]

Awards & Screenings

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The Other Side of Immigration was one of fifteen films on the American Library Association's 2011 list of Notable Video for Adults.[19] It was an Official Selection at numerous film festivals, including the San Antonio Film Festival,[20] the Global Peace Film Festival,[21] and the Washington Immigration Film Festival.[22] Screenings and discussions of The Other Side of Immigration have occurred at numerous universities, including Princeton University,[23] the University of Chicago,[24] Georgetown University,[25] Fordham University,[26] the University of Michigan,[27] Temple University,[28] Texas State University,[29] Arizona State University,[30] Indiana University,[31] and Cornell University.[32] Screenings and discussions of The Other Side of Immigration have also occurred at public libraries, houses of worship, and community centers throughout the United States.[33][34][35]

Border Fence Video

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In December 2010, Roy Germano released footage of two women climbing the US-Mexico border fence as a promotional video for The Other Side of Immigration. The video attracted international press attention and debate about the fence project.[36][37][38][39][40][41] In interviews and on his blog, Germano has suggested that money spent on the US-Mexico border fence would be better invested in guest worker programs, programs that help immigrants integrate and learn English, and poverty reduction in Mexico.[42][43][44]

References

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  1. ^ "The Other Side of Immigration – Team Love Records - New Paltz, NY". www.team-love.com. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  2. ^ Edwards, Lauren. "Student's Work Leads to Insights on Immigrants — and a Documentary Film". University of Texas. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  3. ^ Sinn, Jessica. "'The Other Side of Immigration': Q&A with documentary filmmaker". University of Texas. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  4. ^ "Another Side of Immigration". The Economist. April 24, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  5. ^ "Conor Oberst's Team Love to Distribute Immigration Documentary". TwentyFourBit. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  6. ^ The Other Side of Immigration | 55 min | Full Movie with English Subtitles, retrieved 2019-11-08
  7. ^ Semple, Kirk (April 25, 2020). "Economic Freeze Cuts Remittances, a Lifeline for Migrants' Families". New York Times. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  8. ^ Garsd, Jasmine (30 November 2020). "Pandemic remittances have rebounded. Can that last?". Marketplace. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  9. ^ Cooper, Richard N. (November 2018). "Capsule Review: Outsourcing Welfare: How the Money Immigrants Send Home Contributes to Stability in Developing Countries". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  10. ^ Beras, Erika (2 September 2020). "Remittances to some Latin American countries are booming". Marketplace. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  11. ^ "The Other Side of Immigration : FAQs (Music)". Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  12. ^ Neiwert, David (January 24, 2011). "Securing the border: Why a fence will never work until we reform the system". Crooks and Liars. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  13. ^ "Non-lollipop Docs". Filmsweep. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  14. ^ "DVD Cover". {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  15. ^ Moreno, Carolina. "11 Documentaries About Immigrants Everyone Should Watch Right Now". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  16. ^ Blancarte-Hayward, Adriana. "Films to Celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month". The New York Public Library. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  17. ^ Somvichian-Clausen, Austa (2019-11-07). "The 11 best civil rights movies of all time". TheHill. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  18. ^ "12 Documentaries About Immigrants That'll Educate & Affect You". Bustle. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  19. ^ "American Library Association. 2011 VRT Notable Videos for Adults". Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  20. ^ "2009 San Antonio Film Festival: Official Lineup". Underground Film Journal. 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  21. ^ "Global Peace Film Festival 2009 : The Other Side of Immigration". globalpeace.festivalgenius.com. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  22. ^ Montgomery, David (2014-07-18). "Immigration Film Fest seeks humanity behind the headlines". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  23. ^ "The Other Side of Immigration: Film Screening and Conversation with director Roy Germano". Princeton University. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  24. ^ "The Other Side of Immigration with Roy Germano". The University of Chicago. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  25. ^ ""The Other Side of Immigration" - A Documentary on the Struggles of the Families and Communities Left Behind". Georgetown University. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  26. ^ Vergel, Gina. "Documentary Puts Focus on 'Other Side of Immigration'". Fordham University. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  27. ^ "Documentary Film Screening: "The Other Side of Immigration"". Happening @ Michigan. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  28. ^ "NLG: Immigration Film Series: "The Other Side of Immigration" Screening". Temple University Beasley School of Law. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  29. ^ Jennings, Alec. "Latino fraternity, director screen 'The Other Side of Immigration'". University News Service. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  30. ^ "A riveting documentary about the lives of immigrants, told by immigrants, is screened at ASU Tempe and West campuses". Arizona State University. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  31. ^ "IU graduate's documentary explores immigration from the Mexican side". IU Newsroom. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  32. ^ "Handling the Local Harvest: A Film and Book Event for Curious Consumers". Station News. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  33. ^ "Immigration Film Series". www.charlottecountyfl.gov. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  34. ^ "Screening of "The Other Side of Immigration"". The Community Library. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  35. ^ "UCC shows 'The Other Side of Immigration'". www.newtondailynews.com. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  36. ^ "Two Girls Scale Border Fence in 18 Seconds". Fox News Channel. January 20, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  37. ^ "Border Fence Video Goes Viral". KVOA. January 5, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  38. ^ Sullivan, Andrew (January 5, 2011). "A Strong Argument Against A Border Fence". The Daily Dish. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  39. ^ Wing, Nicholas (January 18, 2011). "Two Girls Scale Border Fence In Under 20 Seconds". Huffington Post. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  40. ^ "Drama de indocumentados". Telemundo. January 20, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  41. ^ Jorge, Ramos (March 6, 2011). "Roy Germano on Al Punto with Jorge Ramos". Univision. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  42. ^ Germano, Roy (January 16, 2011). "Border Fence Video Goes Viral". The Other Side of Immigration. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  43. ^ "Two Girls Scale Border Fence in 18 Seconds". Fox News Channel. January 20, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  44. ^ "Border Fence Video Goes Viral". KVOA. January 5, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
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