Well-Founded Fear (2000)

Directors:
Michael Camerini, Shari Robertson

IMDB

Synopsis:
Originally shown as part of the "POV" series on PBS, Well-Founded Fear examines the United States' system for granting political asylum and the refugees caught within it. Following several pending cases at the U.S. Immigration Office, Camarinie and Robertson give a behind-the-scenes view of how immigration lawyers determine who will receive political asylum. What the documentary reveals is a system fraught with contradictions and impossibilities. Faced with the unenviable task of separating truth from fiction in their applicant's stories, the officials fall back on guesswork and suspicion. On the other side, viewers see the debilitating fear of the applicants, afraid that a simple slip of the tongue will condemn them to deportation. Slowly the immigrants realize that their asylum is based less on proving a "well-founded fear of persecution" and more on blind luck. One asylum seeker justly calls it "asylum-officer roulette." There are no easy answers here but there is an unflinching look at democratic principles at work, for better or worse.

Balseros (2002)

Directors:
Carles Bosch, Josep Maria Domènech

IMDB

Synopsis:
In 1994, after local protests against his regime had reached a fever pitch, Cuban leader Fidel Castro made a surprising announcement -- that any ships that wished to leave Cuba would not be stopped by his seagoing forces. Before long, dozens of jerry-rigged vessels were attempting to make the 90-mile journey to the United States across shark-infested waters, but American president Bill Clinton responded by announcing the Cubans would not be given asylum, while those who had already arrived were sent to a refugee camp in Guantanamo Bay. The Cuban expatriates at Guantanamo Bay had to wait nine months before they were allowed to enter the U.S. and begin the long process of finding new homes in America. Filmmaker Carlos Bosch followed the stories of the Cuban exiles, and, in 1999, tracked down a handful of them to see how they had fared in their first five years in their new country. Balseros is a documentary which shares the stories of the Cuban settlers and the surprising places (both good and bad) where the dream of freedom has taken them.

Farmingville (2004)

Directors:
Carlos Sandoval, Catherine Tambini

IMDB

Synopsis:
Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini direct Farmingville, a documentary about a suburban community torn apart by illegal immigration. In 2000, a conflict erupted resulting in the deaths of two Mexican workers at the hands of white men. The next year, Sandoval -- a former New York lawyer with no filmmaking experience -- moved to the Farmingville area of Long Island to make the film. He and Tambini attempt to present both sides of the issue in order to make a balanced argument. Farmingville is home to both wealthy home owners and immigrant day laborers, and each side has its share of activists. Farmingville was part of the documentary competition at the Sundance Film Festival before receiving a broadcast premiere on the PBS series P.O.V.