DUE TO HIGH DEMAND we are offering a second FREE screening of FIRST TIME HOME to accomodate patrons who could not make the first screening.
FIRST TIME HOME is a film directed and shot by young people who are Indigenous Triqui, second-generation immigrants: Noemi Librado Sanchez, Heriberto Ventura, Esmirna Librado, and Esmeralda Ventura. This is their story, told as they wish to tell it. When the four cousins learned their grandfather in Mexico was gravely ill, they traveled from their immigrant communities in the Skagit Valley and Central California to their family's ancestral village in Oaxaca for the first time. The teenagers recorded video letters to share with their parents and other relatives in the U.S., who are farm-workers and have not seen their relatives in Mexico in over 15 years. Through a mixture of Spanish, Triqui, and English, they got to know their grandparents, aunts and uncles. In the midst of border politics and violence, the group of cousins forged a link across thousands of miles, developing a newfound pride in their indigenous immigrant identity and a new understanding of the meaning of family.
Filmmakers Noemi, Heriberto, Esmirna, and Esmeralda, the co-directors of the film FIRST TIME HOME will be in attendance. The four of them shot the footage themselves, directing and shooting while they were in high school and travelling between California and Washington State to work the harvest with their parents. By joining them as they visit their "home" in Mexico for the first time, meet their relatives, and spend time with their elderly grandpa, they hope their film introduces you to the lives and realities of immigrants, farmworkers and Indigenous families like theirs. They hope the film shows all of us how we are connected, including across borders.
The documentary film has received the Rising Voices Award from the Portland Film Festival, a Spotlight Film Gold Award, and Honorable Mention for Best Documentary from the Global Film Festival Awards Los Angeles.
A panel discussion will follow the film screening.
Skagit Valley Herald: "First Time Home" — young filmmakers document lives of family in U.S., Mexico
Oregon Public Broadcasting NPR: Documentary explores the meaning of family across borders.
Thanks to the support of Underground Writing and Alfred Currier this film is free to the public. Donations accepted at the door will go to the filmmakers and their families.
US | English, Spanish | Documentary | 29 minutes | NR