Some Still Search

A hard-hitting story about illegal immigration.

The narrative of this short has two parallel storylines that alternate between them. The film begins with a woman from Central America (Crespo) being arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency for being an illegal immigrant. It is soon revealed that she has a five-year-old son (Argol), who she left in an apartment, while she went out. Looking after him are two men (Puerto and Garces), who are also Hispanic. As the woman is driven away inside an ICE van, she pleads for the officers to locate her child.

This emotional drama explores very serious issues concerning illegal immigration, deportation and separation. The two storylines are about the woman being deported and the other involves her son being in the apartment, oblivious to what is going on. The woman is desperate to be reunited with her boy, while her child is having a good time and builts a rapport with one of the men in the apartment. Although the situation is distressing and the atmosphere is particularly downbeat when the woman is inside the vehicle, with limited lighting and filled with other apprehended illegal immigrants, her son provides some solace, with his laughter and innocence.

The acting is rather good, especially when taking under consideration that some performances were done by first-time immigrant actors who were cast on the street. Crespo provides a heartbreaking performance, as a person whose life is being turned upside-down rapidly and Puerto is dramatic as a serious man who becomes a sort of father figure to the woman's son.

The film has no music, apart from the ending, where dramatic score is utilised to great effect. A lot of praise goes to Anthony Carella for the beautiful cinematography.

This is a powerful crime drama that follows a series of events that may lead to a mother and her child being separated forever. It shows how the act of deportation can tear people apart, particularly by separating them from their loved ones. The plot is intriguing and the cliffhanger ending makes this film even more dramatic.