Movie Review: Forbidden: Undocumented And Queer In Rural America

Forbidden: Undocumented And Queer In Rural America is a documentary following a young Latino man named Moises Serrano who entered this country illegally at the age of eighteen months and is now fighting for immigration law reform. It opens with audio from a recent speech by presidential candidate Donald Trump, who says: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists.” He then claims that Mexico will pay for a wall to be built between the two countries. What’s more depressing is hearing people chanting, “Build the wall, build the wall.” One idiot like Trump is bad enough; a large group of idiots chanting is frightening. But the film then takes us to a pro-immigration rally in Greensboro, North Carolina. And we are introduced to the subject of the film, Moises Serrano.

The film allows Moises to largely tell his own story, and does so in an interesting way. Rather than relying strictly on interviews conducted by the filmmaker, this documentary shows Moises talking to different groups of people, telling his story to them as a way to encourage support for immigration law reform, and of course in the process telling us his story as well. He provides many interesting and moving anecdotes concerning his undocumented status, such as the trouble in getting and maintaining a driver’s license, and about trying to get into college. He also speaks of depression and suicide among undocumented immigrants.

His mother is also interviewed, and she talks about her experience crossing the border and getting caught. It took her three attempts before she was successful. And she talks a bit about her life and troubles here. The film also gets the viewpoints of an immigration attorney and an immigration rights activist, and they provide a lot of the background on the problems and results of current immigration laws, and this is some of the film’s most interesting stuff.

The film also shows us footage of Moises with his boyfriend, about how they met and so on. This material seems like a separate subject, and thus feels like a separate film. Obviously, his boyfriend plays an important part in his life, and their relationship is related to the subject of undocumented immigrants (in as much as they discuss marriage as a way for Moises to become a citizen), but this really does feel largely like a separate subject. And that is probably the film’s main weakness. Their relationship (we see them moving in together, eating and so on) just isn’t as interesting or compelling as the material on immigration. However, one thing that is remarkable regarding Moises’ sexuality is that at no point does it seem to be an issue with anyone in his family. And that is wonderful and encouraging, and left me feeling optimistic.

Forbidden: Undocumented And Queer In Rural America was directed by Tiffany Rhynard. It is scheduled to screen at Outfest in Los Angeles on July 12, 2016 at the DGA Theater Complex.