The Golden Dream (2013) is a thought-provoking treatise on what drives people towards becoming undocumented migrants. A small group of teenagers leave Guatemala, in search of a better life in the USA. Though inexperienced at this, they are aware of some of the dangers that go with what they are embarking upon, but what they are leaving behind makes them feel the risk is worth it. This film is lean and spare, and relies on the viewer being intelligent and observant. The information is all there, but it is not spoon-fed to the viewer. The acting is so good, however, that the viewer is totally absorbed by these three teenagers, who let you into their lives with a casual nonchalance, so you absorb the information osmotically. Anyone who feels that immigrants come looking for an easy life should watch this; it is almost newsreel footage.
Review of The Golden Dream
