Educational Media Reviews Online

Referring to itself as an animentary, Home is Somewhere Else [Mi casa está en otra parte] is highly recommended viewing for both adults and younger audiences. Personal stories are shared in trifold regarding a trio of tales of mistreatment of families on wrong sides of international borders. So often animation of either digital or hand-drawn varieties intends to distance us into cartoon-ified perspectives that stay within corners of exaggeration, lampoons or even mockery. Some educational implementations of animation meant to explain, too often neglect how alienating thoughtless or canned visuals can be, as if converting a moving short film into some mind-numbing PowerPoint slide deck. By contrast, the aesthetic within Home is Somewhere Else is a marvel that takes animation itself to new and immediately transfixing places.

This film also draws in the viewer with warm dream sequences, alongside authentic voice overs of first-person testimonials, and even some magical realism of a cinematic psychology worthy of Ingmar Bergman. Rarely has animation been used so impactfully to help us understand the travails and the thoughtful resilience of undocumented migrants in America and their struggles for dignity. Borrowing as well from the vibes of slam poetry, we appreciate the lived experiences of those we get to know here. Unlike more run of the mill animation, we have compelling character development, and not just stereotypes intended to advance a plotline. Home is Somewhere Else is an impressive example of how sometimes only inspired artistic expression can reveal emotion and belief in ways that even some live action documentary films may fail to achieve. Goals in this production looking to competently inform us, co-exist with an impetus of caring that is associated with the best and even radical pedagogies. Directors Hagerman and Villalobos have delivered something quite special in this tightly crafted animated film.

Awards:
Best Animated Feature Film, Ariel Awards; Audience Award, San Diego Latino Film Festival; Best Film for Young People 14+, IDFA INT’L Documentary Film Festival; Coral DeAnimacion Award, Havana Film Festival; Made in Mexico Award DocsDF, International Documentary Film Festival of Mexico City; Grand Prix Zanate - Honorable Mention Zanate Mexican Documentary Film Festival

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