The Infiltrators was well-received at its regional premiere at Austin's SXSW Film Festival. It is a provocative film about the efforts of undocumented activists to infiltrate the Broward Detention Center in Florida. These young people have taken the audacious step of getting themselves arrested so they can get inside detention facility and try to assist those inside the facility to get released. I can't decide if they are brave or foolish, but most likely both. They document the conditions inside the facility for the film. Because they can't film inside much of what goes on inside is recreated docudrama-style using actors after the fact. It is melding of styles of documentary and feature filming.
It is well-filmed and highly provocative in its description of the Kafkaesque world inside the detention facility. The film is enjoyable and informative. Some of the use of actors as well as the real individuals is quite confusing. The personal stories of the individual immigrants are heart wrenching. I was impressed that they challenge the prevalent stereotype that all undocumented individuals are Latinos by including undocumented individuals from Africa and Iran in the narrative. The film is recommended for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of the intricacies of the immigration nightmare that we have created.
4 Reviews
great story - you should watch
koolkathy-3028814 June 2020
Amazing reality about undocumented detention
cnobyl12 October 2020
This film is amazing and the strength of these young dreamers is awe-inspiring. I was so thrilled to watch this and it often gave me chills & made me tear up many times!
I recommend that every human should see this. Especially people who live at or near the border as I do. These great young activists seem to be living in NYC and kudos to them and the creators of the film for doing everything they have done!
It makes me want to help DREAMERS as I am a white American who has lived in Mexico. I would love to be a new female version on RadAm.
I love the culture and want to help these DREAMERS as they are put in the middle of insane politics and they didn't do anything wrong. Just being americans.
Claudio Rojas: Visible and Dangerous
ap_211230 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I want to give a shout-out to Claudio Rojas, one of the main characters. His courage and determination in the face of oppression is awe-inspiring.
It broke my heart when Claudio was taken away from his family, condemned to not being there for them. There must be so many fathers like Claudio here, fathers who work hard and stay under the radar to avoid danger every day.
I remember the story of a father who was arrested one evening, after buying diapers at Walmart. The arresting officer claimed that he had failed to stop properly at a stop sign in the parking lot. His wife was spared, but he was deported. Had he indeed failed to stop properly at the sign, or was he racially profiled? Maybe he did fail to stop properly at the sign. Did he blame himself for not being vigilant enough when he heard his older daughter cry on the phone, worried that she might end up being adopted?
Fathers are routinely deemed disposable in immigration practices. In quick twists of fate, they are put away in a black box somewhere and they become even more invisible than they were before.
Like the director of The Infiltrators wrote, "There is no power without visibility." Claudio refused to be invisible, and he was lucky to have many who supported him in his struggle. Though his figure became slimmer as he fasted, I'm sure his larger-than-life existence gave hope and strength to those around him.
Unfortunately, Claudio was deported in 2019 when the movie was about to premiere. Many other immigrant activists were detained or deported during the Trump administration, in what seems to be an intimidation tactic aimed at keeping undocumented immigrant heads low. This made me realize how citizenship is the ultimate and unquestionable privilege there is. Those who don't have the right papers might not be allowed to speak out, even in the land of the free. Thankfully, the United States is a country with strong institutions; one can hope here. Ravi Ragbir, another immigrant activist, won his legal fight when an appeals court ruled that the Constitution bars the government from targeting immigrants for their advocacy.
Hopefully, there will be more legal protections for immigrants in the near future. Some will still be on edge driving in the Walmart parking lot, but progress can be faster when being visible is not such risky business.
PS: Claudio Rojas was reunited with his family in 2021.
It broke my heart when Claudio was taken away from his family, condemned to not being there for them. There must be so many fathers like Claudio here, fathers who work hard and stay under the radar to avoid danger every day.
I remember the story of a father who was arrested one evening, after buying diapers at Walmart. The arresting officer claimed that he had failed to stop properly at a stop sign in the parking lot. His wife was spared, but he was deported. Had he indeed failed to stop properly at the sign, or was he racially profiled? Maybe he did fail to stop properly at the sign. Did he blame himself for not being vigilant enough when he heard his older daughter cry on the phone, worried that she might end up being adopted?
Fathers are routinely deemed disposable in immigration practices. In quick twists of fate, they are put away in a black box somewhere and they become even more invisible than they were before.
Like the director of The Infiltrators wrote, "There is no power without visibility." Claudio refused to be invisible, and he was lucky to have many who supported him in his struggle. Though his figure became slimmer as he fasted, I'm sure his larger-than-life existence gave hope and strength to those around him.
Unfortunately, Claudio was deported in 2019 when the movie was about to premiere. Many other immigrant activists were detained or deported during the Trump administration, in what seems to be an intimidation tactic aimed at keeping undocumented immigrant heads low. This made me realize how citizenship is the ultimate and unquestionable privilege there is. Those who don't have the right papers might not be allowed to speak out, even in the land of the free. Thankfully, the United States is a country with strong institutions; one can hope here. Ravi Ragbir, another immigrant activist, won his legal fight when an appeals court ruled that the Constitution bars the government from targeting immigrants for their advocacy.
Hopefully, there will be more legal protections for immigrants in the near future. Some will still be on edge driving in the Walmart parking lot, but progress can be faster when being visible is not such risky business.
PS: Claudio Rojas was reunited with his family in 2021.
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