The question of illegal immigration is all over the news these days. But in a media environment where journalists are trying to either make you angry or afraid, it’s not always easy to see the actual people beyond the headlines.
In his new documentary ROADS OF FIRE, filmmaker Nathaniel Lezra turns down the volume, providing a nuanced look at three sides of this complicated situation.
One thread follows a group of immigrants making their way from Venezuela to Colombia, where they start the dangerous overland hike through Panama’s Darién Gap.
Another thread introduces us to the advocates, religious leaders, and community volunteers working in and around New York City who are trying to house, feed, and guide the immigrants who have been granted temporary asylum.
And finally, we spend time getting to know one asylum seeker who is trying to make a new life in the United States for herself and her children as she flees an abusive situation in her home country.
Whatever you believe about the policies around the issue of immigration, there is much to learn and appreciate in this timely film, and we hope that our discussion with Nathaniel Lezra is a worthy accompaniment.
So join us for our conversation on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.
STORY A: Maria Pascal. 35 years old, born in northern Ecuador, now finds herself an asylum seeker adrift in New York City with her two children after fleeing death at the hands of her violent ex-husband. Daily they fight to navigate NYC’s overwhelmed system after a brutal foot journey through the jungles of Colombia and Panama to reach the United States. With unprecedented access, we examine every step of her asylum journey, from her first meeting with an asylum attorney to her final day in court.
STORY B: Jonathan Guerrero and the 35 Billion USD Migrant Smuggling Trade. Jonathan is a migrant smuggler operating out of Cúcuta, Colombia who coordinates and assists in the clandestine journeys of fleeing refugees. Always living in the moral grey areas of a complex geopolitical situation, Jonathan is the embodiment of the desperation and opportunities that the global migrant crisis presents. Equal parts humanitarian and opportunist, Jonathan brings the Roads of Fire team into the heart of the Narco controlled 35 Billion USD migrant smuggling industry. We embed with him as he coordinates a party of refugees fleeing Venezuela, taking them to the mouth of the Darién Gap and beyond. Once there, the ROF team tracks Narcos and Gulf Cartel fixers, telling the story of this shadow industry from the inside.
STORY C: The workers of a New York City grassroots refugee support network. Roads of Fire tracks this group of New Yorkers as they provide support citywide, filling the holes in governmental support, providing critical frontline assistance to new arrivals, sourcing housing, lawyers, and providing meals for food insecure Asylum Seekers – all at extreme personal cost.