Docuseek | Ale y Yose

Alejandra Matias and Yoselina Bazan are two friends and DREAMers from Oakland, California. Given cameras to self-document their personal experiences, the two share their various hopes and fears over a period of six months, reimagining what it means to be a teenage girl in the United States. Among the everyday issues of balancing a school, home, and work life, they also grapple with the uncertainties surrounding their citizenship in the midst of legal challenges thrown at DACA recipients during the Trump presidency.

The film weaves together their personal home videos with interview and observational footage to captures their various struggles with an unknown future. Ale is balancing a four-day work week at a part-time job on top of her senior year of high school. Yose faces a lack of emotional support at home. As they open up to the camera, they also speak about putting up a tough front to protect themselves lest anyone take advantage of them.

Despite the fears over their legal status, they continue to be activists in their community as seen by their participation at a rally protesting the presence of ICE in their city. When asked about the future, they hopefully imagine one in which people get organized and continue to fight.

"Interviewing each other and filming typical activities with friends and family, the girls are sometimes unsure or silly, and other times juggle appointments with immigration lawyers, college prospects, and their shared dedication to being activists for positive change...Consider for social studies, social justice, and history classes or discussion of transitioning from high school and part-time jobs to life's next challenges."
— School Library Journal

"Highly Recommended. A somber and real portrayal of what immigrant children go through when they enter and live in the United States. Their lives, their families, and their pain, is brutally illustrated in this short but powerful film. Their aspirations in achieving a better life as they walk the tight rope of American politics, American society, and cultural differences is fascinating to watch. Their ability to succeed, given the obstacles these two young Latina girls face, leave the viewer with food for serious thought."
— Educational Media Reviews Online

"At a time where undocumented immigrants, the Latino community, and DREAMers are under attack, Ale y Yose offers an intimate glimpse into the lives and perspectives of two girls at the forefront of these intersecting issues. Undocumented yet unafraid, Ale and Yose both fit and break the mold of a US teenager."
— KQED Truly CA

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Main credits

Kökdil, Erin Semine (filmmaker)
Matias, Alejandra (on-screen participant)
Bazan, Yoselina (on-screen participant)

Other credits

Cinematography, Yoselina Bazan, Erin Kökdil, Alejandra Matias; editing, Erin Kökdil.

MARC Record See Worldcat record

Keywords

Teenagers,Youth,Immigration,ICE,DACA,Oakland; "Ale y Yose"; The Video Project

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Ale y Yose

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