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Destierros

Name: Destierros
Director: Hubert Caron-Guay
Released: 2017
Duration: 85 min

Representation Score

9.1/10

Excellent

2017

Director

Hubert Caron-Guay

Runtime

85 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Destierros succeeds as a humanistic documentary that shifts the focus from geopolitical abstractions to the lived experiences of displaced people. By centering the ability to act of migrants, the film challenges traditional power structures and critiques the systemic failures of political and economic institutions. The work excels in racial and cultural representation, providing a nuanced view of solidarity amidst organized crime and systemic instability. It effectively deconstructs the concept of borders by prioritizing human survival over legal status. However, the film lacks specific narrative depth regarding LGBTQ identities or permanent disabilities. While it captures the physical toll of the journey, it does not provide dedicated arcs for these specific underrepresented groups.

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Category Breakdown

Does Destierros have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film shows a diverse group of people fleeing instability. While no specific LGBTQ identities are mentioned, the shared experience of refugees suggests a sense of vulnerability among all migrants.

How does Destierros portray gender?

Good

The story focuses on a woman's journey through dangerous environments. Women are portrayed as active participants in the migration process, challenging traditional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Destierros?

Excellent

The film offers excellent representation by featuring a predominantly non-Western cast. It emphasizes the ability to act of migrants against systemic economic and criminal threats, highlighting their resilience.

How does Destierros represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The documentary highlights the solidarity among displaced individuals, framing their journey as a struggle against systemic oppression. It portrays communal support as a crucial element for survival.

Does Destierros include disability representation?

Fair

The film does not have specific character arcs centered on permanent disabilities. However, it emphasizes the physical vulnerability and situational fragility of migrants during their perilous journey.

Present on Screen

Excellent representation of non-Western, non-Anglo-Saxon perspectives.
Strong emphasis on human ability to act and communal solidarity.
Effective critique of systemic economic and political failures.
Avoids gender clichés by presenting women as active participants.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation of specific LGBTQ identities.
Does not feature character-driven arcs for permanent disabilities.
Focus remains on broad demographics rather than specific identity-based narratives.

Official Synopsis

We watch from behind as a person with a sling bag walks through the night, before melting among her peers in a refuge, in Mexico, welcoming those women and men who are fleeing a political situation, an economic impasse enriching organised crime. It is of little matter where these migrants come from, as it is, above all, a matter of staying alive and avoiding the gangs that keep an eye on the long path to exile. However, everyone knows the goal: to get into the north of the continent, the United States or Canada, at all costs, aboard goods trains, which they hang onto dangerously. In complete immersion, Hubert Caron-Guay filmed this last chance voyage in which waiting contends with anguish, even though solidarity is tangible at times, like in the sequence where a man enjoins his companions in misfortune to “run at the same speed as the train”, otherwise, death is certain.

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