Assaulted Dream documentary in the U.S.

This Fall, I've been given the opportunity to share a documentary on the human rights crisis for migrants in southern Mexico at a number of venues. The documentary, Assaulted Dream (Asalto al Sueño) is by German filmmaker Uli Stelzner. It portrays the daily life of the migrants, from the friends that they make to the dangers they face, through the migrants' own telling of their stories.

In September, the film was shown in its entirety at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and clips were shown as part of a more extensive discussion on the topic at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley, also in Bethlehem. This November 15th and 16th, the film was shown at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stonybrook and Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. Clips were shown during 2 classroom presentations at Patchogue Medford High School. After all the presentations, viewers engaged in a brief discussion and question and answer period.

Many of the people who viewed the film stated that they were learning about the issues faced in Mexico for the first time. Others had had more personal experiences with migration (whether through friends or relatives), and expressed that the film did a good job of portraying the situation. All in all, about 165 people have attended the screenings since the "tour" began in September. I believe it is very important that people are exposed to this film and understand how the situation for migrants in Mexico factors in to general debates about immigration policy. This understanding is especially critical as we gear up for a potential reform at the federal level in the coming year.

Future prospects for showings include additional high schools and libraries in New York, as well as universities in Washington, D.C. A short sampling of clips from the film can be viewed at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3tUC6oP6Ts