Las Abogadas

Distributed by New Day Films, 350 North Water Street Unit 1-12, Newburgh, NY 12550; 888-367-9154Produced by Laura Seltzer-Duny and Careen ShannonDirected by Victoria Bruce2023, Streaming, 92 mins Many Americans and politicians view immigration as a problem that poses a threat to the well-being and status quo of the nation. In recent years anti-immigration sentiment has increased with the United States government creating policies such as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) to impede immigrants or potential asylum seekers from entering the country. Las Abogadas takes the viewer beyond the rhetoric and political strategizing, to the front lines, where hopeful migrants in Mexican border towns such as Matamoros and Tijuana live in camps waiting to gain entry to the United States. This film introduces individuals and families who fled violence or political unrest in countries such as Cameroon, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, and Honduras. It also highlights immigration attorneys who set up legal clinics in Mexico to assist migrants facing an uphill battle to enter the United States. The attorneys featured in the film are all women who are selflessly dedicated to helping others especially in the face of tighter border restrictions. They drive hundreds of miles around Mexico meeting with potential asylum seekers who have fled dangerous situations in their home countries. These attorneys speak multiple languages including Spanish and French. They assist migrants with questions related to American immigration laws or what to expect when attempting to enter the United States. Migrants include a woman going blind, a single mother with her children fleeing gang violence, Africans escaping political unrest, and a young adult who lost both her legs while riding the dangerous Mexican “beast” train north towards the border. The filmmakers provide backstories for the attorneys and the migrants who all share sad but also inspiring histories. One lawyer suffered PTSD from working with family separation cases. Cameroonian migrants flew to Ecuador and then walked thousands of miles to Tijuana under dangerous conditions. Las Abogadas begins in early 2020 and includes the impact Covid-19 had on migrant camps and border policies. The film presents news footage from various political viewpoints as well as clips from the 2020 American presidential debate related to immigration. Watching this news coverage alongside the actual situation on the front lines further underscores the harsh realities faced by migrants which are often overlooked by voters and television cameras. As one attorney notes, most Americans pay little mind to the situation in Honduras and other nations which causes people to flee. Most migrants escaped life-threatening circumstances in their homelands but also encounter many dangers on their quest to finding a better life including risks of violence, robbery, sexual assault, and kidnapping or sex-trafficking. Living in limbo in Mexican migrant camps is also fraught with perils. The stories found in this film occasionally have happy endings as a result of the attorneys’ admirable perseverance in wading through the complicated legalities associated with assisting asylum seekers hoping to enter the United States. A new presidential administration produces only small changes with little alterations to migrant or asylum policies. Las Abogadas humanizes the migrant issue, and the struggles millions of people face every day when fleeing their homelands in search of a better life. This film is available in a variety of formats that can include public performance rights. A discussion guide is also available. It is recommended for advanced high school classes or college courses in such disciplines as Latin American Studies, Law, Political Science, and Social Justice. Awards,Winner, Best Documentary, Awareness Film Festival (CA, USA-2022); Winner, Best Documentary, LA Independent Women’s Film Awards (CA, USA-2022); Winner, Best Documentary, Pembroke Taparelli Arts and Film Festival (CA, USA-2022); Winner, Best Social Justice Documentary, Queen City Film Festival (MD, USA-2022); Winner, Best of Women’s Voices, Portland Film Festival (OR, USA-2022); Winner, Camera Eye International Mention Award, 6th International Women Filmmakers Festival (Turkey-2022); Winner, Special Jury Award for Activist Filmmaking, Arizona International Film Festival (AZ, USA-2023); Winner, Best Documentary, ONE Country ONE Film – Apchat-Issoire International Festival (France-2023); Winner, Best Documentary, Vancouver International Women in Film (Canada-2023); Winner, Best Feature, Vancouver International Women in Film (Canada-2023); Winner, Best in Fest, Valkyrie International Film Festival (NY, USA-2023); Winner, Best Documentary Feature Film, Global Cinema Film Festival of Boston (MA, USA-2023); Winner, Best Director, Global Cinema Film Festival of Boston (MA, USA-2023); Winner, Best Documentary, Vail Film Festival (CO, USA-2023)

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