Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival – UndocuCinema

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

As part of a series to feature the stories of undocumented immigrants, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival offered “UndocuCinema,” presented by the UndocuCinema Filmmakers Collective. Ranging from three minutes to an hour, each film tells a compelling story about the spirit of immigrants and their stories of success, tragedy and everything in between life in the United States.

The main point that seems to resonate through each story is the American Dream, all while showcasing the struggle and/or perseverance to reach that dream. Some stories fill you with hope and others make you shed more tears than you knew you could.

30 – Directed by Rahi Hasan with a series of images as dialogue to indicate a rite of passage in the young woman’s 30th year of life, this segment showcases an interesting perspective of tradition kept and maintained despite geographical location.

Borrowed Dreams – An ambitious offering from Amritpal Kaur, who is also one of the main characters, we learn that Amrit’s struggle to stay in America with her sister Aman (Amandeep Kaur) is a tale all too familiar for those who migrate: the possibility of deportation. The story explores the mental health aspect of immigration and how families trying to cope after being torn apart by deportation or disappearance can have repercussions.

Faith – A Dreamer’s Journey – Written, directed and edited by Lidieth Arevalo, we learn of her journey to become a filmmaker and how her own faith guided her during this time. As a DACA Dreamer who came to the USA at the age of thirteen, Arevalo documents her journey to moving to Long Beach, California in 2013 and receiving her degree from California State Long Beach in 2015. As there were times she would barely eat or even sleep in her car, she never gave up hope. In 2017, she was studying at Chapman University to get her Master’s Degree in Documentary Filmmaking. You can watch Faith – A Dreamer’s Journey here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZQ5Qd72L2Y

How Are You? – Within the first of two offerings from director Paolo Rein we see Angie (Erin Subido) take us through her journey as a college student and the pressure it puts on not only her, but also her family. Through conversations with her brother Andres (Jared Semana) and her Mom (Jannine Seeckts), the audience becomes privy to the stress of Angie trying to balance her home life and maintain her GPA at the same time. When the stress becomes too much for her to handle, Angie realizes that she is not the only one that has made tough decisions as her mother shows love through making even deeper sacrifices to send Angie to college. You can watch How Are You? here: https://vimeo.com/312863576

Izel – Directed by Wil Prada, we are taken through the day in a life of a homeless teenager (Andrew Devara) who loves astronomy and art and finds ways to incorporate these ventures into something he can share with his friends and family. The notion of space and astronomy being brought down to a more personal level really resonates, especially when getting to witness the reactions of others getting a glimpse of what lies beyond the Earth. You can watch Izel here: https://vimeo.com/193455297

Rocio – Dario Guerrero gives us a look into the life of his mother Rocio and not only the last days of her life with terminal cancer, but footage of her through the years leading up. Guerrero, a DACA dreamer, puts his own Harvard pursuit on hold to care for his dying mother and take her back home to Mexico. But it is more than just his college education, as Dario also leaves the country and struggles to return to the United States after his mother has passed. Eventually, he is able to return yet you are drawn in to Rocio’s story and the family’s pursuit to try and afford her the best holistic care available. Be prepared with Kleenex, especially when it comes to Rocio’s children back in Los Angeles saying goodbye to their mother via FaceTime. You may also cry watching Dario fulfill his mother’s final wish: graduating Harvard. Rocio is available on Amazon Prime.

Shaded Complexion – The second short film by Paolo Rein talks about a young man named Dante (Paolo Rein) who is presented with an opportunity to come up with a “million dollar idea” for his current job. While he aspires to make his way up the ranks, Dante is treated more like an errand boy rather than the writer he dreams of being. This prompts him to revisit one of his old familiar haunts where he comes up with the idea for “Shaded Complexion,” the inspiration from the people he grew up with and their untold stories. The narrative of the film goes beyond Dante as his words bring his characters to life and remind us that even in our differences, “We are human beings.” You can watch Shaded Complexion here: https://vimeo.com/345331156

Zoila – Directed by Marco Nieves, the film’s focus is on Zoila, an elderly woman who started off selling clothes in El Salvador at the age of fourteen. In present day she now sells clothes on a cart she pushes around Los Angeles and finds happiness in doing just that. Her smile is infectious and you cannot help but love her optimism for one day owning her own kiosk to sell wares. Zoila’s story reminds us that the dream is always alive, no matter how old you may be.