1,969 Miles

(working title)

Synopsis

Every year hundreds of undocumented migrants die attempting to cross the border between the United States and Mexico. These men, women and children are the victims of failed economic and political policies in their home countries and are then again victimized by the failure of the United States government to enact humane and comprehensive immigration and border policy.

The film will tell the first hand accounts of those who have tried to cross as well as the stories of the survivors left behind. We will see the extraordinarily harsh and dangerous terrain that is the last chance for many and analyze the border policies that force migrants into life threatening conditions. According to countless experts, U.S. border policy plays an enormous role in the number of deaths that occur each year. This policy has failed to deter illegal immigration. As border policy continues to be more restrictive, statistics prove migrants will continue to die in increasing numbers. Death should not be a means by which the United States deters migration.

It is the intention of the film to know and understand the individuals who feel they must cross the border, to inform audiences who are unaware of the existing situation and to examine what can be done to alleviate the suffering and resolve the human rights crisis.