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The Daily Tar Heel

Immigrant strife told in alumus’ documentary

Miguel Cortes and his family are residents of Raleigh who have been living as undocumented immigrants for the past 12 years. Courtesy of Ted Roach.

Miguel Cortes and his family are residents of Raleigh who have been living as undocumented immigrants for the past 12 years. Courtesy of Ted Roach.

Roach, who took his first film class at UNC, said he wants to use his documentary to share a personal story that reveals some of the harsh realities immigrant families face.

“You’re going to see a side of the immigration debate that you’ve never seen before,” he said.

“120 Days” follows the life of Miguel Cortes and his family, residents of Raleigh who have been living as undocumented immigrants for 12 years.

Sponsored by the Carolina Latina/o Collaborative and the Southern Documentary Fund, the event will begin with a screening of the film followed by a question and answer session with Roach and Cortes’ lawyer, Marty Rosenbluth, who will answer immigration-related legal questions.

The Cortes family story begins when Miguel Cortes was charged for driving without a license and arrested. He was detained and ultimately told he had four months — 120 days — before being deported.

Roach said he filmed the Cortes family with just one cameraman to avoid intrusion. The film chronicles Miguel Cortes’ crucial decision to face deportation — requiring him to say goodbye to his wife and two daughters — or to change his name and flee to another U.S. city as a fugitive.

“The audience is going to feel like they’re part of the Cortes family because they allowed us to be a part of theirs,” Roach said.

The film ignites the immigration debate further, showcasing the controversy of the 287(g) agreement, part of a federal immigration law that authorizes local police to act as enforcers of immigration.

Some critics have lauded “120 Days” for humanizing the experience of immigration and giving a voice to families who are sometimes unable to speak about their struggles.

The film has won several awards, including best documentary at the Charleston and Kansas International Film Festivals. It also received best social documentary at Cinevision Fest, among other honors.

“This deportation issue is one that affects students that attend UNC as well as families across the United States,” said freshman Mayela Peralta. “Students should take an interest in it because children, families and employers are affected by deportations caused by a broken immigration system.”

Josmell Perez, coordinator for the CLC, said the film brings the immigrant experience to the screen in a realistic way.

“‘120 Days’ personalizes it. It puts it in our backyard,” he said.

Roach said he aims to get the film on HBO and Netflix to reach a larger audience and that at nearly every screening he has had several people come up to him with some version of one message:

“You have to get this out there.”

arts@dailytarheel.com

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