Join us Friday September 4th, at 7:30 pm for a FREE work-in-progress screening of The Minutemen, a feature documentary film that examines the perplexing issue of illegal immigration on the U.S / Mexico border through the eyes of self-appointed, citizen border watchers. Afterwords we will have a critical discussion of the documentary. Beverages and snacks will be provided, please RSVP to: bodega@uniondocs.org
In a barren desert, surrounded by limitless horizon, there stands a 700 mile perforated barrier separating the haves and the have not’s. The sun sets along this rusty fence as a crusty old veteran puffs a cigarette and lowers his binoculars. The day is over, but the cold night is theirs. He lowers the flag, salutes a helicopter passing through the darkness, and settles into his dusty camper for another canned meal alone on Patriot Point.
In 2005, dissatisfied with the influx of undocumented immigrants and fed up with the lack of government involvement, the Minutemen positioned themselves along the U.S. / Mexico border. Armed, energetic, and bound by common ideals, they are a diverse, often fragmented group of disillusioned freedom fighters led by a modern day Don Quixote “Lil’ Dog” and his four legged companion “Freckles”.
Zealous and often comical, these subjects embark onto what President Bush and many others believe to be the realm of vigilantism. This verite documentary follows nine of these eccentric, self-appointed watchdogs, as they fight for their sovereignty as well as their own psyches in an isolating and dangerous landscape. Filmed over the course of four years, we examine the reasons and the relationships between these conflicted patriots.
The Minutemen Movie Trailer from Nicholas Weissman on Vimeo.
