“Home + Away,” a fantastic new documentary receiving its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this year, follows three Mexican-American student athletes at Bowie High School in El Paso, TX. Their lives are defined by the border. Erik, a senior and soccer player, lives in Juarez, and crosses the border every day to go to school. Francisco, who is a junior and plays baseball, travels back and forth each week; his mother lives in Texas, while his father —who is unable to come into the States — lives in Mexico. The third subject, Shyanne, is a senior and on the wrestling team. She lives in El Paso with her mother, an ex-con who receives disability (Her father is Mexican but not a part of her life).
Director Matthew Ogens artfully presents the lives of these teenagers who strive to provide a better life for their parents than their parents were able to give them. They are seen in class, on the athletic field, but also at home. All three students excel at sports, and the games shown in the film, which range from seasonal matches to Division Championships are tense and exciting (and even heartbreaking).
But “Home + Away” defines its subjects by more than just the actions on the field. The subjects are all bound by poverty and the hope that an American education will enable them to get a leg up, go to college, and earn enough money to support their parents so their families do not have to worry or live hand to mouth.
Ogens’ treats the border as a character and his subjects (and their families) with tremendous respect. He observes them at their best and sometimes at their worst, but he never milks their vulnerability for pity. This is not poverty porn, but an examination how difficult these kids lives are and how they handle so much at such a young age, and why it is so important for them to succeed and achieve.
The filmmaker spoke with Salon about making “Home + Away.”
How did you find the three subjects you did? What were the criteria that made them the most interesting?
It started sort of outside looking in because of what was going on in the country, what High School was closest to the border. First, I found the school. That is 50 yards to the border, and then I reached out to the school and the principal and I found out one quarter — roughly 300 students — cross the border every day.
I went for a week to get the lay of the land and meet the kids. I met with kid after kid after kid and had a conversation with them and see who resonated — who had a mix of an interesting story, a life on the border, had conflicts they were dealing with and were open to sharing themselves. Shyanne and Erik are seniors, and there’s more pressure on them. Francisco was a junior, and he had more naïvete. He wasn’t as cynical about life.
The border-crossing theme is very interesting. I like that you spend the time showing the teens walking to convey the idea of living with one foot in the old/home land, and one foot in the new/promised land. Can you talk about the importance of the border and why attending Bowie is so important to these kids?
They are American citizens because their mothers were living in Mexico but crossing the border to work in the U.S. They gave birth in a U.S. hospital, so even though the parent may not be citizen, the kids are. Erik has a U.S. passport even though his parents don’t have visas and can’t come over. He is an American citizen, which enables him to get a U.S. education.
An education in El Paso is better than one in Juarez, and these kids and their parents want opportunities in life — whether they decided to remain in Mexico or the U.S. The need to learn English and help their families out. There are more opportunities for a future in El Paso than in Juarez. There are exceptions, but statistically they have a better shot.
You illuminate how Shyanne and Francisco each straddle difficult relationships with their families and face tremendous pressures at a young age as a result of parental sins. Can you discuss why these kids are desperate to give their parents a better life than they have?
These kids grow up fast. I don’t think they realize it, because it’s so normal to them. They start working when they are young. If you live in Juarez you know someone — a family member, or a neighbor — who has been killed. While we were filming, a woman was shot and killed two blocks from us.
We see the news especially over the last year with Trump, and we hear about Mexicans and the wall, no matter what side of the wall we are on, we hear about topics in the news, not the people affected by it. We talk and debate and march, but we rarely check in to see what the people on the border think and what their lives are like. The wall/border is a character in their lives, as is going back-and-forth between sister cities that rely on each other socially and economically. These people have family on the other side, and they rely on each other. Closing that down is not that simple.
The three teens all see sports and/or the Army as a way out of poverty. How realistic are they, and how can they achieve their goals and make good life decisions?
If you go to Bowie, that’s a step up from going to school in Juarez, but Bowie is the bottom of the barrel in El Paso. The kids and the school are stereotyped as they are the closest to the border.
Sports is a way for these kids to prove themselves: we are as good as you. Sports is a great equalizer, and if they are passionate, they can earn respect from the other teams. When you have kids from broken homes, Shyanne didn’t have a father, and her mom was in prison, so the coach becomes a father figure and provides life lessons. They all have a strong work ethic and they are encouraged. This is why there’s tremendous pride in Bowie, from the parents and teachers, but also the coaches — many of whom went there as students themselves.
There is a very telling scene when the students are watching Trump’s inauguration and reacting to it with expressions of despair and fear at having the life they made in the U.S. taken away. Can you explain why you included this political moment in your personal film?
That was our first shoot day, the first shot, and the first scene we filmed. It’s an interesting moment. I didn’t get political. I just filmed what was there. Shyanne spoke up in situ, unprompted by me. If I sat and asked, “What do you think of Trump?” then I think it gets biased. In that scene, nothing was set up.
“Home + Away” includes some exciting games played both during the season and division championships. How did you get so lucky as to be able to film these intense matches?
I’ve never had more open arms and access on any project than this. I never heard the word “No.” The school gave us a production office. I spent 5 months there and moved there. We had complete access. We filmed five characters and 5 sports because you don’t know what’s going to pan out. You couldn’t know what team(s) would go to the Division Championships.
As a director, you have nothing to do with the outcome. I am asking questions and putting the characters in situations where something might happen. What happens physically, is just luck.
I like that each student has a secret life; in addition to their classwork, and their sports team, they have something that the further defines them. Can you talk about uncovering that less visible aspect of their lives?
I want to make people three dimensional, and not show just one side of them. I want to go home with the characters. I’m curious about them and what they do at home. The entry point is school and sports, but I want to explore all aspects of the teenage life. It’s “American High” except that it’s complicated by the border.
The film depicts poverty without sentiment, giving a real sense of how these teens live hand to mouth at a young age, and try to work within the system to improve their lives. How do you think your film will create awareness that might educate or improve things for other teens like them in the future?
Part of my point is that these people are human too. I didn’t want to milk it. Shyanne is the adult in her family. I didn’t want them to be stereotypes, but to paint a full portrait of life on the border without being biased or heavy-handed. It’s a coming of age doc.
One of the subtexts of the film is that some of the students at Bowie could be Dreamers. Can you talk about this issue which relates to your film?
If any of them are Dreamers, I don’t know. That topic was coming up after Trump took office and wasn’t part of this film. It’s not something I pursued. I never heard the word or used it. But you would think about it seeing the film. I wanted you to get to know these kids as kids.
I think Erik has the most poignant comment in the film when he says, “Life is not a game,” and that we need to pay attention to what is happening around us. What are your thoughts on this observation? I think it is the crux of the film and resonates the most.
I haven’t thought about that. I think that’s a really good point. It’s a good logline. We are all teens once and we let things slide. We don’t think about big picture, or next year. It’s all instant gratification — do I want to study or go out with friends? Do I want to play sports or study? It’s compounded if you live in Juarez or have no money. Erik could end up selling fruit on the side of the road like his father. He realized this when he was looking to graduate. He had to pass this and realized that this isn’t a game, and he has to think about next year. As a poor kid from Juarez, you have to think about that. He could be the first to graduate High School and go to college. He has a shot. One false move — it’s such a precious line.
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