Educational Media Reviews Online

This short documentary offers a poignant picture of a lawyer, Lizbeth Mateo, a California resident who is herself undocumented. In her legal practice, she helps others with their immigration cases.

The documentary spends the bulk of its almost-20 minutes on the case of Edith Espinal, a woman who sought sanctuary in a Mennonite church in Columbus, Ohio, and who is separated from her family as she fights the deportation case against her. The film adroitly approaches the issues surrounding immigration status to engage viewers, though more about the undocumented lawyer herself would have enriched the depth of the storytelling. Lizbeth Mateo’s story first enters the media’s eye when she took part in a protest with other DREAMers in 2013; a group of nine students crossed back into the United States after entering Mexico and were detained, bringing attention to the precarious situation of undocumented students. The film seems to lack a direct sense of engagement with its title subject however--the film shies away from divulging too many details of Mateo’s personal life, even in areas where they would help to show the ways in which undocumented immigration status creates barriers in the basic activities of daily life.

Despite its brief running time, this documentary short is captivating, giving audiences fertile ground for discussion--one hopes that a feature-length film focusing directly on Mateo is in production. Ideal for secondary and undergraduate classes; the filmmakers have created an impactful work that makes the plight of undocumented people relatable and offers entry points for allyship.

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