The Undocumented

Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights - Honorable Mention 2013

NEW DOCS

The Undocumented is an unblinking, visceral tribute to immigrants who have lost their lives crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. The film shows them—abandoned and lifeless—as evidence of a broken system. Many individuals are left to pick up the pieces. Some of them search for, rescue, and provide water and medical care for people who managed to survive under an unforgiving sun. For the unlucky, medical examiners painstakingly try to identify their remains in a morgue crowded with other victims of the Sonoran Desert. The audience shares in both the revelation and also the finality of a match between a dead migrant and his photograph. Empathetic advocates share the sad news with families in Mexico and help reunite the remains with their loved ones. With sensitivity to the humanity of the anonymous dead, Marco Williams explores the reasons for attempting a border crossing, documents the search for a name, and reveals the impact of a death on the families left behind.  NK

Director

Marco Williams

Producer

Marco Williams

Editors

Kris Liem, Dave Meneses

Cinematographers

Marco Williams, Hector Mata, Thomas Peyton, Claudio Rocha

Release Year

2013

Festival Year

2013

Country

United States, Mexico

Run Time

91 minutes

Premiere

World Premiere