Film: La Americana
Director/Producer: Nicholas Bruckman
Meet Nicholas Bruckman, a 23 year old New Yorker, political activist and director of the absorbing documentary film La Americana.
The film is a topical documentary focusing on the migrant crisis in America. This gripping account follows the journey of Carmen, an illegal immigrant living in New York, trying to earn enough money to take back for her severely ill daughter in Bolivia. La Americana intimately propels the viewer into Carmen’s world on a tear jerking journey, as she reunites with her daughter after six years. This cinema-verite style film focuses on her personal struggle as a trans-national mother and illegal immigrant with a precarious future.
La Americana premiered at the opening night of The London International Documentary Film Festival. INQ interviewed Nicholas to delve a little deeper on what the film explores.
What inspired you to make the film?
‘I was interested in US immigration issues at the same time as there being a big shift in the immigrants’ rights movement (2006). Two major bills were proposed in the government; one that would have made all undocumented immigrants felons, the other to give documented migrants a path to become citizens over a very long period of time. There was a huge flair-up in the US of pro- and anti-immigration demonstrations, the biggest protests the United States had ever seen for anything - other than war. I thought it was important to tell the story of the undocumented immigrants who are living in the US. By showing the life of one, we could tell the story of many. By telling their stories, we could humanise them and build more tolerance between migrant and non-migrant communities.’
How did you propose the idea for the film to Carmen?
‘When I met Carmen, she started telling me about the impending decision she must make: whether or not to go home to Bolivia for her daughter’s birthday. Sounds simple enough? She then told me about her experiences as a trans-national mother and what it meant to leave her daughter behind. I realised this woman has so much to say and that she has been waiting for somebody to listen to her. It seemed natural for me to begin this project. I explained to her that if she wants people to listen, she would have to expose her life and show the way she has been discriminated against; to show what happens to families because of borders.’
When Carmen speaks about Emma Lazurus' poem inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty she says "the words are hollow like the statue". She speaks about the contradictions of 'the American dream', however her boyfriend, Jorge, is a believer in the dream.
‘Yes, she says she was never able to achieve ‘the American dream’; while it may have existed one day, she feels it is no longer possible for the majority of immigrants who are forced to migrate illegally. Not being able to legalise her status after working for so long and so hard in the US, Carmen feels that the doors are not open in the way that they used to be. Her boyfriend, Jorge, remains in the US and is a strong believer in ‘the American dream’. Jorge went to the US illegally over the Mexican border and now has a window-washing business with one employee.
‘It was important to show opinions other than Carmen’s; we tried to set up contrasting issues to spark dialogue. There are millions of immigrant success stories, which are what the US is all about. We wanted to show that, but also that sometimes the dream is deferred or denied.’
In short La Americana puts a human face on the millions of illegal immigrants who are mistreated by the US system, showing the grave consequences of a separated family struggling to survive.
For more information go to the website www.la-americana.com
Interviewed by: Houtan Froushan
