Following a father’s years-long battle against deportation, To Be Reconciled offers a heart-wrenching portrait of a family living through the anguish of uncertainty with faith and resolve. Carlos has lived in Minnesota for 25 years when the Department of Justice overrules an immigration court’s earlier decision that separating him from his U.S. born children would be anti-humanitarian. The change in decision, made without a trial, triggers Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to schedule Carlos’s deportation. Filmmaker James Christenson documents Carlos as he navigates a confounding legal system, appeals and delays offering a temporary sense of relief while also prolonging the damage of insecurity. Living in limbo, without a definitive end, is a form of punishment in and of itself. Poignant conversations with his wife and children, and introspective reflections on his own life, reveal Carlos’s deep commitment to his faith and to personal growth. Against hardship and hurt, a profound connection to family and to his own resilience anchor this father and husband’s determined fight.  ST

Filmmaker Q&A available

Closed Captioning available