Documentary on the attempted murder of two Mexican day laborers in Farmingville, New York.Documentary on the attempted murder of two Mexican day laborers in Farmingville, New York.Documentary on the attempted murder of two Mexican day laborers in Farmingville, New York.
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- 8 wins & 2 nominations total
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A powerful documentary about the sudden influx of undocumented - or illegal, if you prefer - Mexican immigrants into Farmingville, N.Y., not too far from New York City.
Anti-immigration folks are bound to see this film as propaganda about immigrants, especially since the immigrants come off as well-behaved, respectful, occasionally funny, individuals, while their opponents do not.
Filmmakers Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini try their best to show both sides of the issue. But those who oppose the immigrants' presence - a group called Sachem Quality of Life (SQL) - can easily be seen as racists because they don't really seem to be able to articulate their views without turning shrill.
We see SQL people accusing immigrants of harassing young women, and accosting immigrants on the road and berating them in English (the immigrants don't speak the language). SQL also did itself no favors by aligning with some national anti-immigration groups and getting speakers from those groups to address a local "Day of Truth" conference. And it's in awfully poor taste when SQL members sing "God bless America" and seem to be gloating after Suffolk County legislators fail to override the county executive's veto of creating a hiring hall for the migrant workers.
So while we see the immigrants standing on street corners, working, organizing, cleaning and maintaining soccer fields, and their allies calling for more tolerance and a real solution to the problem, their opponents include a California woman who not only rants "illegal aliens...rob, rape and murder our innocent citizens," she also believes "once they (Hispanics) reconquer and control this government, which they have vowed to do...that if you're not a Latino, you will be expelled."
What is made absolutely clear in this film is there needs to be a workable solution to this problem, and not just a knee-jerk reaction. As a resident - a former cop and Marine - points out eloquently in a public meeting, he would do anything to better the life of his family and these immigrants "are children of God that are coming here for some help."
But a lack of understanding - on both sides - only raises the anger level and it results in two immigrants being physically assaulted and a Hispanic house being firebombed. There's also brief mention of a local woman who was killed by an immigrant drunken driver, but the film never makes it clear when he was part of this immigrant group profiled in the film.
I wish Sandoval and Tambini had spent more time with town residents Louise and Tom, who walk through their neighborhood raising concerns they have about the influx. Although Louise admits she has a "real problem with people here illegally," her concern is that rental homes are housing 20 and 30 migrants each and that's causing a huge problem. Tom complains about the sudden truck traffic in his neighborhood. You may not agree with their views, but they don't come off as nasty. The film doesn't say whether Tom and Louise are part of SQL. I didn't think they were, which is why I wanted to see more of them.
This film is a sad commentary about contemporary society. It's obvious these immigrants are integral to the economy, something most elected officials, especially on the national level, would be loath to admit. A local contractor says he put an ad for American workers "and it was a joke" what happened.
The depressing aspect is how an important human issue like this skewers people's perspectives and brings out the worst in them. When the Mexican immigrants get permission from the school board to use the soccer fields in exchange for mowing the grass, cleaning the fields, landscaping, fixing the fences etc., a resident wrote to the school board, "I find it distressing that these illegal immigrants are being permitted to play soccer side-by-side with our children."
Sadly, it's apparent we still have a long, long way to go in this country when it comes to race relations.
Anti-immigration folks are bound to see this film as propaganda about immigrants, especially since the immigrants come off as well-behaved, respectful, occasionally funny, individuals, while their opponents do not.
Filmmakers Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini try their best to show both sides of the issue. But those who oppose the immigrants' presence - a group called Sachem Quality of Life (SQL) - can easily be seen as racists because they don't really seem to be able to articulate their views without turning shrill.
We see SQL people accusing immigrants of harassing young women, and accosting immigrants on the road and berating them in English (the immigrants don't speak the language). SQL also did itself no favors by aligning with some national anti-immigration groups and getting speakers from those groups to address a local "Day of Truth" conference. And it's in awfully poor taste when SQL members sing "God bless America" and seem to be gloating after Suffolk County legislators fail to override the county executive's veto of creating a hiring hall for the migrant workers.
So while we see the immigrants standing on street corners, working, organizing, cleaning and maintaining soccer fields, and their allies calling for more tolerance and a real solution to the problem, their opponents include a California woman who not only rants "illegal aliens...rob, rape and murder our innocent citizens," she also believes "once they (Hispanics) reconquer and control this government, which they have vowed to do...that if you're not a Latino, you will be expelled."
What is made absolutely clear in this film is there needs to be a workable solution to this problem, and not just a knee-jerk reaction. As a resident - a former cop and Marine - points out eloquently in a public meeting, he would do anything to better the life of his family and these immigrants "are children of God that are coming here for some help."
But a lack of understanding - on both sides - only raises the anger level and it results in two immigrants being physically assaulted and a Hispanic house being firebombed. There's also brief mention of a local woman who was killed by an immigrant drunken driver, but the film never makes it clear when he was part of this immigrant group profiled in the film.
I wish Sandoval and Tambini had spent more time with town residents Louise and Tom, who walk through their neighborhood raising concerns they have about the influx. Although Louise admits she has a "real problem with people here illegally," her concern is that rental homes are housing 20 and 30 migrants each and that's causing a huge problem. Tom complains about the sudden truck traffic in his neighborhood. You may not agree with their views, but they don't come off as nasty. The film doesn't say whether Tom and Louise are part of SQL. I didn't think they were, which is why I wanted to see more of them.
This film is a sad commentary about contemporary society. It's obvious these immigrants are integral to the economy, something most elected officials, especially on the national level, would be loath to admit. A local contractor says he put an ad for American workers "and it was a joke" what happened.
The depressing aspect is how an important human issue like this skewers people's perspectives and brings out the worst in them. When the Mexican immigrants get permission from the school board to use the soccer fields in exchange for mowing the grass, cleaning the fields, landscaping, fixing the fences etc., a resident wrote to the school board, "I find it distressing that these illegal immigrants are being permitted to play soccer side-by-side with our children."
Sadly, it's apparent we still have a long, long way to go in this country when it comes to race relations.
First, let it be said that Sachem School District does not have any association with Sachem Quality of Life. Many students, faculty, and staff would rather SQL remove Sachem from its name altogether.
That being said, Tambini and Sandoval do a good job in giving a general overlook of the situation. They portray the immigrants, the people who oppose them, and people who support the immigrants. However, what is missing is the middle ground. Not necessarily the indifferent, but rather the ones who, like me, do not oppose the presence of immigrants in our town, but who would also like them to be legalized as well.
I have no problem with immigrants. They are generally nice and are good in heart. They are here mostly to work for their families back in their home countries. I've played soccer with them at those very same fields in the film.
But that is what the film lacks, however. It is the middle-ground. There is too much focus on the extremes, and not enough on the majority. I would have liked Tambini and Sandoval to visit the Sachem High School East campus in Farmingville (which they have done), but rather to get students opinions in the documentary as well.
This film is good, but less emphasis on the two "warring" parties, if you will, and a little more on the normal residents of the town would have made the film better.
That being said, Tambini and Sandoval do a good job in giving a general overlook of the situation. They portray the immigrants, the people who oppose them, and people who support the immigrants. However, what is missing is the middle ground. Not necessarily the indifferent, but rather the ones who, like me, do not oppose the presence of immigrants in our town, but who would also like them to be legalized as well.
I have no problem with immigrants. They are generally nice and are good in heart. They are here mostly to work for their families back in their home countries. I've played soccer with them at those very same fields in the film.
But that is what the film lacks, however. It is the middle-ground. There is too much focus on the extremes, and not enough on the majority. I would have liked Tambini and Sandoval to visit the Sachem High School East campus in Farmingville (which they have done), but rather to get students opinions in the documentary as well.
This film is good, but less emphasis on the two "warring" parties, if you will, and a little more on the normal residents of the town would have made the film better.
The documentary seems to miss the whole issue of illegal aliens in this country. Instead, it focuses on racial tensions and demonizes local citizens, while making illegal aliens out to be hardworking saints who are just looking for a piece of the American Dream. It is a completely biased film that tries to distort the real issue - unchecked, massive, illegal immigration that is threatening to destroy this country.
When I checked "Farmingville" out of the local library, I hoped for a look at both sides of the issue. I wanted to see the filmmakers address the issue of the poor Latinos who wanted to work hard, prosper, and make a better life for themselves. I also wanted it to explore the strain that they place on the economy and the local community.
Sure, these guys were born into a poor country. No one is arguing that they would have the same opportunities at home. But, they broke the law to come here. There was very little footage devoted to the fact that the illegal aliens do not respect the law. And, why would we assume that they would be willing to obey any other law? They do not pay taxes after all. They do not pay their health care bills. We do. They certainly do not respect zoning ordinances because they pack at least 25 people in a house.
Again, it was a biased film. The issues mentioned above were covered very briefly, if at all. Instead, the documentary skirted those issues by pointing the finger at the locals, many of whom did not want the illegals in their town. The film skirts some very tough issues by labeling the locals as racists to discredit their arguments. Time and time again, the locals are painted as intolerant hicks, while the illegals are shown in the best possible light. Why didn't they spend any time on the death of a local woman at the hands of an illegal alien drunk driver? Instead, they focused an inordinate amount of the film on an incident where two illegals were beaten.
This movie could have been one of the all time great documentaries if it had showed both sides of the issue. As a documentary, the film was weak. The film as propaganda was fantastic. The filmmakers did a great job in telling a story, but their view was completely one-sided and biased. They tried to discredit some very valid points made by the locals by labeling them as racists. I would recommend that the reader see this film, however, you should definitely keep in mind that there is a lot more to the issue that the filmmakers do not want you to see.
When I checked "Farmingville" out of the local library, I hoped for a look at both sides of the issue. I wanted to see the filmmakers address the issue of the poor Latinos who wanted to work hard, prosper, and make a better life for themselves. I also wanted it to explore the strain that they place on the economy and the local community.
Sure, these guys were born into a poor country. No one is arguing that they would have the same opportunities at home. But, they broke the law to come here. There was very little footage devoted to the fact that the illegal aliens do not respect the law. And, why would we assume that they would be willing to obey any other law? They do not pay taxes after all. They do not pay their health care bills. We do. They certainly do not respect zoning ordinances because they pack at least 25 people in a house.
Again, it was a biased film. The issues mentioned above were covered very briefly, if at all. Instead, the documentary skirted those issues by pointing the finger at the locals, many of whom did not want the illegals in their town. The film skirts some very tough issues by labeling the locals as racists to discredit their arguments. Time and time again, the locals are painted as intolerant hicks, while the illegals are shown in the best possible light. Why didn't they spend any time on the death of a local woman at the hands of an illegal alien drunk driver? Instead, they focused an inordinate amount of the film on an incident where two illegals were beaten.
This movie could have been one of the all time great documentaries if it had showed both sides of the issue. As a documentary, the film was weak. The film as propaganda was fantastic. The filmmakers did a great job in telling a story, but their view was completely one-sided and biased. They tried to discredit some very valid points made by the locals by labeling them as racists. I would recommend that the reader see this film, however, you should definitely keep in mind that there is a lot more to the issue that the filmmakers do not want you to see.
I keep re-reading the review from the person who talks about the stench of urine from public buildings and the hundreds of people sleeping on every bit of grass. Now that's really weird because you see, I LIVE in Farmingville and I've never seen anything like that. I've lived here for 25 years. There's no urine and I've never once, not one time in my entire life, seen anybody sleeping on the grass. If you drive down Horseblock Road early in the morning -- between 4am and 6am -- you will definitely see large crowds of Hispanic men hanging around the shop fronts and sitting on the curbs. By 5:30 the majority of them have been picked up by various trucks and the others know that there won't be any work today, so they go home. They certainly don't stretch out on the sidewalk for a cat nap. LOL. I do agree that there are problems in Farmingville due to the immigrant population, but those problems have more to do with taxes and health care and the fact that none of these people pay for the benefits that our town provides them with. To say that the numbers of illegals "crowding the streets" is even noticeable to the townspeople is not just a joke, it's an outright idiocy. Trust me. I didn't just cruise around the most downtrodden areas of Farmingville for a few minutes -- I wake up every day here and go about my life here, and I'll let you know if I ever see anyone asleep on the grass.
I don't mind a documentary having a point of view but one thing that really angers me is when the filmmakers pretend they are being unbiased and then clearly make a one-sided movie. Farmingville is all about a battle between residents of the Long Island town (15,000 pop.) and a sudden influx of 1500 mostly illegal Mexican immigrant men. One of the two pivotal events of the film was the attempted murder of two Mexicans by town citizens. (The actual murder of a young mother by a drunk immigrant was barely mentioned.)
I don't think I'm a bigot. (Who knows for sure?) I believe the immigration problem is an extraordinarily challenging one that needs to be part of public debate. Nevertheless, I do not believe that the way to solve the problem is to produce documentaries that make most of the white residents out to be racist idiots and a group of 1500 Mexican men out to be saints. If I were to believe this film, the Farmingville Mexicans were the most respectful and well-behaved group of men in American history-of any race. These guys make the Amish look like hell-raisers, their sole crime apparently being their custom of gathering on corners to find work and a lack of affordable housing. Any other negatives we hear are accusations and innuendo from the whites, which come off as paranoid rants. These oppressed men just want to work hard, play soccer and be left alone.
When I asked one of the directors, Catherine Tambini, about this, she said that it was difficult to get any bad behavior from the men on film. But apparently the stupid white folks were more than willing to immortalize their ignorance. Most of the Anglo citizens of Farmingville that were featured were mean-spirited, ignorant human beings. The sole thoughtful and articulate exception was a legislator that was a champion of the Latino community. Honestly, this film was so biased that I felt like I was watching Reefer Madness. But then, it was funded in part by Latino organizations.
Mexican immigration is a major issue for our country, and it's good to see film-makers tackling the problem. Farmingville is a symptom of a bankrupt immigration policy-both legislative and executive. Fear and self-interest brought out the worst in many people of Farmingville. It's a sad chapter in American history. But let's not ignite the debate by deifying immigrants or vilifying whites. That's not a documentary. That's propaganda.
I don't think I'm a bigot. (Who knows for sure?) I believe the immigration problem is an extraordinarily challenging one that needs to be part of public debate. Nevertheless, I do not believe that the way to solve the problem is to produce documentaries that make most of the white residents out to be racist idiots and a group of 1500 Mexican men out to be saints. If I were to believe this film, the Farmingville Mexicans were the most respectful and well-behaved group of men in American history-of any race. These guys make the Amish look like hell-raisers, their sole crime apparently being their custom of gathering on corners to find work and a lack of affordable housing. Any other negatives we hear are accusations and innuendo from the whites, which come off as paranoid rants. These oppressed men just want to work hard, play soccer and be left alone.
When I asked one of the directors, Catherine Tambini, about this, she said that it was difficult to get any bad behavior from the men on film. But apparently the stupid white folks were more than willing to immortalize their ignorance. Most of the Anglo citizens of Farmingville that were featured were mean-spirited, ignorant human beings. The sole thoughtful and articulate exception was a legislator that was a champion of the Latino community. Honestly, this film was so biased that I felt like I was watching Reefer Madness. But then, it was funded in part by Latino organizations.
Mexican immigration is a major issue for our country, and it's good to see film-makers tackling the problem. Farmingville is a symptom of a bankrupt immigration policy-both legislative and executive. Fear and self-interest brought out the worst in many people of Farmingville. It's a sad chapter in American history. But let's not ignite the debate by deifying immigrants or vilifying whites. That's not a documentary. That's propaganda.
Details
- Runtime
- 1h 19m(79 min)
- Color
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