A 3 MINUTE HUG (Video Release USA 2019)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.5|5.0 Starsììì

A 3 Minute Hug—documentary short film—shows Hispanic and American families meeting at the United States/Mexican border for quick interaction and re-union time. This play on emotion does not give attention to the many reasons people emigrate/immigrate or the other ways they manage to stay in touch via modern technology. It does remind one of the difficulties associated with choices to emigrate. Great camera detail in this short film show a well-dressed and well-fed group of people hugging and sharing a tear or two before leaving from a re-union that makes one feel that people have been hired for a film rather than a real-life documented event.

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images

Storyline

Mexican and United States families reunite at the border to share quick interaction before being separated by border enforcers.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Everardo González for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producer Gael García Bernal for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: A variety of United States’ and Mexican families.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film could have been more effective, educational, and informative if it had chosen to address many different countries’ methods of dealing with border issues and interwoven solutions for communication when families are separated. This would have resulted in a positive, helpful, service-oriented documentary that offers value for time invested in viewing. If the documentary had positively focused on how technology has improved family ability to interconnect and communicate across long distances and how future innovation will impact communication needs, the age-old challenge to changing country while leaving loved ones behind becomes less daunting to those who endure familial separation. The movie’s superficiality, narrow focus, and time release make it suspect in intent and purpose while possibly making a viewer feel manipulated and emotionally vandalized.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers