HIDS 2020

Day 1: YOMBE: Between Two Worlds

Immigrants and refugees are often pulled in two directions: where they used to call home and where they live now. Many left friends and families behind in order to try and make a better life for themselves. These films explore these competing forces as they engage in a tug-of-war for where to call home.


Currently present in the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Yombe people have an extensive history of migration. The films chosen for this day involve stories of people caught between two worlds, unsure of which to call home.

More information about the Yombe people can be found here.

 

If you encounter any technical difficulties while watching the films, please email homeisdistantshores@gmail.com

Disclaimer: Some of our selected films contain strong language, depictions of violence, brief nudity, and/or intense themes. For family-friendly/student programming, please visit our student programming page.

Feature-length Films:

 

Narratives of Modern Genocide

“Narratives of Modern Genocide challenges the audience to experience first-person accounts of survivors of genocide. Sichan Siv and Gilbert Tuhabonye share how they escaped the killing fields of Cambodia, and the massacre of school children in Burundi. Mixing haunting animation, and expert context the film confronts our notion that the holocaust was the last genocide.”

 
 

Mu and the Vanishing World

“Ever since fleeing Myanmar as a child, Mu, a young Kayan woman, lives confined as a refugee and tourist attraction in Thailand. Soon after she becomes a single teenage mother, the U.N. initiates a resettlement plan for the refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border which creates an opportunity for potentially tens of thousands of people to start new lives in the USA.

Determined to pursue freedom for herself and her baby, Mu ruptures ties with her traditional mother, her culture and tribe to fulfill the requirements of the rigorous vetting process. Once she finally arrives in America, her romanticized ideas are challenged by the reality that unfolds. As Mu fights to adapt, she begins to wonder where her world truly lies.”

 

Short Films:

 

Los Hermanos

“Los Hermanos is a powerful music video edited by filmmaker Maureen Gosling. The video pairs a Los Cenzontles cover version of Argentine composer Atahualpa Yupanqui's haunting song "Los Hermanos" with photos by the celebrated photographer Jim Goldberg.”

 
 

No Traveler Returns

“A young African immigrant's struggles to adjust to life in America push him towards an existential crisis.”

 
 

Soledad

“A pro bono lawyer and her client Soledad fight for Soledad's right to asylum just as the Trump Administration changes the rules for asylum seekers. 

This film weaves live action and animation to tell the story of a courageous young woman from Central America who fled gang violence and sought asylum in the U.S., and shows what life is like for those imprisoned in the Eloy Detention Center while they await their day in court.”

 
 

(t)here

Rhea, a young Indian girl living in the US, is struggling to make a decision that impacts her life and dreams - whether to stay in the US or go back to India due to visa circumstances - when a chance encounter with an immigrant grocery store manager leads to an unexpected bond between the two.”

 
 

Bulls and Saints

“Bulls and Saints is a lyrical documentary short based on a love letter written by an immigrant bull rider to his wife back home in Mexico.”

 
 

Two Rivers

“DREAMER Alejandro Jimenez was smuggled into America as a boy and, thanks to DACA, is now New Hope, Pennsylvania's first professional boxer. In the days leading up to his toughest fight, with lawmakers threatening to repeal DACA, he battles for the ideals of a nation.”