“The Infiltrators” is a magnificent film that dives headfirst into the hardship, emotional, and physical trauma of being undocumented in America. In the film, the visuals portrayed the actors and the real people.The infiltrators are a group of young adults who are all undocumented and unafraid. They knew that they had more power than people believed they did.They helped in the release of many people who were detained.They were even courageous enough to go into Broward detention center in Florida to help in the release of detainees.
Almost every clip showed them as they continued to fight for freedom.There were various stories about different people there. The main focus was the story of Claudio, whose son sought out for help from the infiltrators.This occurred at the beginning of the film were you could feel the dismay of having your family be separated and not knowing what to do. As the filmed progressed, they had successfully infiltrated the detention center and you’re able to learn more about each character. Many people detained were detained unjustly for example there was a women from Africa who was detained for reporting domestic abuse and another teenager for riding a bicycle.The anger arose around the theater as you felt and saw the unfairness, loneliness, loss of appetite, and hopelessness from the detainees. Not only were you seeing the suffering from those detained but also the suffering their families went through that weren’t able to visit due to their immigration status.
This film’s intensity and reality was difficult to endure.I found the film very emotional as someone who has family and friends who are undocumented. I noticed I wasn’t the only one who felt emotional because I saw others also shed tears. You didn’t have to be facing the same circumstances with the people in the film to feel heartbroken. One thing that stood out to me were the eyes of the detainees. Whether it was the director’s purpose or not, it was definitely powerful to see because of the underlying emotions: hope, dismay, relief, and fear. It connected with me because of the community around me who face similar fears like deportation.The eyes remind me of that struggle.Their eyes hold onto their identity, hope, and the difficulties they face.
The film ended abruptly with Claudio on his way to meet with I.C.E.to see if he is granted another year in the United States of America leaving many people upset. The darkness that filled the room following that clip had us at the edge of our seats longing for a happy ending but we were fed with the credits. After having seen them go through so many difficulties to free Claudio there was no true sense of freedom. However this abrupt ending showed the very raw and realistic side of being undocumented. There is no end to people who face this daily. The fight to free the humans detained is still present and they continue to fight. The Infiltrators being Mohammad Abdollahi, Viridiana Martinez, Marco Saavedra continue to fight these injustices.
I remember telling some friends I was going to be seeing the film Life Animated soon, and attempting to describe what I knew about it to them: “Umm, it’s about this person who has rather severe autism who uses his love of Disney characters to build skills.”
In short, my pre-viewing estimation was relatively right. But the film was so much more. Owen Suskind, a chatty three year old born in the 1990s, is suddenly no longer a chatty three year old; he becomes frail and shut down, barely eating, drinking or sleeping. He has lost nearly all of his linguistic capability, does not make eye contact, and struggles to walk in a straight line.
The Suskind family has lost Owen; he’s trapped behind some seemingly impenetrable barrier. Ultimately, this barrier acquires a name: Autism.
Owen, rather ill, due to the lack of food and sleep, seems to be unable to connect with his parents and his brother Walter in any meaningful way other than watching Disney movies together, the only activity he seems to enjoy. Owen’s father, Ron Suskind, who happens to be a world-renowned journalist and bestselling author, has a spectacular breakthrough with Owen. The story is only truly done justice when told by Ron himself, in the video above.
There’s hope for Owen. With the help of his father's discovery, and intensive, expensive treatment programs, Owen is moving forward. I wondered, as I watched the film, whether access to the life-changing resources that Owen had were rare. Ensuring that a person who has autism of Owen’s variety has adequate access to opportunities for growth can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Many people with an autism diagnosis never have the chance to fulfil their potential because of lack of access to resources.
The film responsibly avoids lulling the viewer into falsely believing that progress means that life is perfect. Even with the financial means to care for Owen, the struggles of living with, or being, a person with severe regressive autism are never erased in the Suskind’s lives, and even in the company of hope, struggle is never left out in the film’s portrayal.
The occasionally harsh reality presented in the film still leaves room for great and beautiful things, such Owen’s interactions with his family. I was deeply moved by the relationship between Owen and his older brother, Walter. I had the opportunity to talk to Walter about growing up with Owen, and he told me about how his archetypical role of protective older brother and unique role of “third parent” throughout his lifetime have been primary factors in his creation of self throughout his life. Since talking to Walter, I’ve thought about how my identity, like his, is largely shaped by the people who I love, and how important it is to acknowledge the significance the role that those around us play in making us who we are.
Through well-crafted audio that occasionally allows the viewer to experience Owen’s sensory perspective, deeply, wrenchingly personal narrative from each member of the Suskind family, and stunning original animations, the film connects with its audiences in a uniquely emotional way. Enough to bring the audience to its feet in a raucous standing ovation when the filmmakers and cast walked onstage as the credits concluded.
During a Q&A, a member of the audience, who himself had autism, asked Owen, "What does autism mean to you?" Owen gave a fantastic summation of the optimism presented in the film; "Autism means you're special and no one knows it yet."
Thea, a senior at West High School, is an unapologetic feminist and is passionate about social and reproductive justice. She raises guide dog puppies and is an avid outdoorsperson.
The Many Stories of Survivors and Families: Audrie and Daisy
By Athena Schwartz
The movie Audrie and Daisy is about the personal sexual assault stories of young women. This movie shows the many sides and surrounding stories of rape. One of the directors, Jon Shenk, mentioned in the Q&A after the movie that one of the goals was not to make the whole movie seen from the survivors side. Instead that wanted to show as many sides as possible because rape cannot be blamed on just one thing, and can not be described fully in just one story. They showed the attackers stories as well as the Law Enforcement Agents involved.
A picture from the Q&A after the Audrie and Daisy showing.
It was fascinating to hear the different viewpoints. While the survivors stories made me bawl my eyes out until I was practically out of tears to cry, other stories, such as Sheriff White’s who was the Sheriff on Daisy’s case, made me laugh out loud in frustration. Sheriff White was very arrogant and according to the directors, was willing to openly share his opinion about Daisy not actually being raped. Not only did he deny her rape, he also said it was her fault because she was the one that got drunk in the first place. Not only is his opinion enraging, but it's unfortunately a very common one.
This victim blaming is one of the big parts that lead Audrie to her death. As Daisy says, the first thing to say to the survivor is that you believe them, it’s not their fault, and that they are not alone. Some of the other girls who helped in the movie said that one of the most common responses they receive is how it was their fault. The sad part is they're not alone in hearing this response. It no longer just comes from friends and peers, but from law enforcement, teachers, parents, and so many more. The survivors that hear this most are male.
Although this movie was mainly focused on the amazing young women who have pushed their way through this, there were a few examples of how men have been through similar situations. The movie stated that 1 in 4 girls are sexually assaulted, but that 1 in 6 boys is as well. Often when hearing about sexual assault and rape, it’s common to only hear about females. The reality is that no matter what gender a person is, rape rates are at too high of a level. It’s important to see that women aren’t the only ones. Men should not be ashamed for being raped just like women should not be. The representation of male survivors made this movie even more unique and fascinating.
Some other fascinating views in this movie were the attackers. It was insane to hear all the lies they said to the police and families to cover up what they had done. They would later tell the truth when their lies caught up with them. It made me wonder what was going through their heads not only during the attack, but while in questioning from law enforcement.
Audrie and Daisy was a movie that made tears flow down my face in rivers. This film should be spread not only with teens, but with their families. It show the many stories of and around sexual assault that are so necessary to hear. As Bonni Cohen said, telling teens about rape is proven to lead to less sexual violence as shown in a recent study by the University of South Carolina. This movie needs to be spread to show teens the impact of sexual assault as well as educate them on a gigantic problem that surrounds them even if they have no idea.
Athena is a vivacious slayer of the patriarchy who enjoys photography, debate, marine biology, and manatees. She is a junior at the Academy of Math, Engineering, and Science and is a part of a Jewish Youth Group called BBYO. She’s looking forward to another year of blogging for Planned Parenthood at Sundance.
I Believe in Unicorns: Not an Urban Outfitters Commercial
By Sam Samore
Sterling is the perfect badass dreamboat. His leather jacketed, cigarette smoking, punked out persona seems opposite to Davina; she wants to create worlds, and he wants to destroy them. In one scene, Davina tells him she will smother him with her tiny feathers, and he responds that he’d simply burn them. But our generation’s vague and romantic nostalgia makes them the same thing. Their aesthetics seem equally appropriate through Meyerhoff’s trendy instagram-esque filters, a gaze which removes their specificity and makes them both precious. She doesn’t just play into these trends though. Rather, she recognizes the tendency for empty aestheticization and plays with it. Sterling’s abusive father, at first, seems like the icing on the cake that makes him the perfect troubled love. The emotional implications are ignored, and the fact becomes just another vintage army jacket, just another trendily greasy hairstyle. After Sterling and Davina run away together, however, the reality of Sterling’s history begins to rudely confront her fantasy constructions.
I remember dating people who were “troubled”, and I think I had some of the same illusions that Davina did. I was even envious, wishing I had a similarly romantic background in order fit the mold of the appearance I wanted to project. I think our whole generation does this. I heard in a recent conversation between author Brett Easton Ellis and singer Ezra Koenig (of Vampire Weekend), that our generation is one of aestheticists rather than artists, and Meyerhoff expresses a similar anxiety. Art is often about deep pain and suffering, and I Believe in Unicorns is about the danger making such feelings only surface-deep.
