Doc. Review - Self.

The documentary I chose to review on my own is of Mexican border crossing.



Poorly shot, I won't lie. In the beginning, the music overpowers what the people are saying. They have a good idea, but they didn't follow it through properly, and that's clear, even to a person such as I. The shots are shakey, poor quality, and hardly thought out.

B-roll is well used. Talking about how they can't stay were they are, show a shot of a crappy little hut of a house. talk about how kids can die border crossing, showing crosses nailed to a barrier, representing people who died doing this.

The topic itself is controversial enough. After I watched this, I scrolled through the comments, and there were everything from hate comments and death threats, to comments of hope and encouragement. This film shows both sides. The men gathered outside of a bus being questioned, are so happy and hopeful about a crappy chance at a new lease on life, and even though they fail in the end, some still laugh it off.

The use of the music is...somewhat effective. keeping the sound of the helicopter during the sad guitar strumming is a huge problem. You can't feel the emotion of the music, at all. They should have taken the clips audio out when adding the music.

Ending in the sound of the siren whizzing by adds some effect...like a warning to anyone who might even foolishly consider illegally crossing the border.


In my opinion, a poorly done documentry, that had some potential. It comes down the the editing of the shots, and the shooting of it all together.