FILM FRENZY

Roads of Fire (Photos: Lezra Films)

ROADS OF FIRE
★★★ (out of four)
DIRECTED BY Nathaniel Lezra
STARS Adama Bah, Maria Pascal

Many years ago, I came across an online post that included a photo of a large group of American women — most middle-aged, all white — smiling and laughing as they held big banners that read, “MASS DEPORTATIONS NOW!” The creator of that post wrote that he had initially assumed that it was a fake photo, one created by Photoshop wizardry, as he found it impossible to believe that so many people could be so hateful and cruel. Naturally, he was depressed once he ascertained that it was indeed an actual undoctored picture.

Over the past decade, of course, the United States has seen hatred become the new patriotism and cruelty the new national anthem. Not that these qualities haven’t always been present in this country (or on this planet), but it took one lone individual to make such character traits not only acceptable but fashionable — personally, I would never trust this fascistic twit to do something as simple as hand me a cup of water or count to five, but millions enthusiastically responded positively to his sexism, racism, homophobia, and particularly xenophobia and eagerly volunteered to be good little cultists.

There’s a scene near the start of the documentary Roads of Fire that’s very telling. It’s a clip of a former U.S. President delivering a speech about immigrants. He’s not dismissing those seeking to enter our country as “rapists” and “murderers”; rather, he states that, “Since this is the last speech I will give as President, I think it’s fitting to leave one final thought, an observation about a country which I love. Anyone from any corner of the earth can come to live in America and become an American. If we ever close the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.” What?! What sort of Commie, socialist, libtard crap is this? Who spewed such nonsense — Obama, Clinton, Carter? Actually, it was Ronald Reagan, the man who is still championed by hypocritical Republicans as one of the Great Ones but who would be beaten, tortured, and executed by the MAGA faithful were he uttering those words today.

The placement of those words at the beginning of Roads of Fire is a smart strategy, immediately pointing out the differences between Then and Now. Immigration has been a thorny issue for decades, but what’s changed is the utter, absolute vilification of those coming here, usually (as the film notes) “fleeing war, famine, personal crises, or large-scale humanitarian disasters.” This pensive and perceptive documentary elects to look at some of those involved in what is often a life-or-death endeavor, moving freely between various stories. One concerns the seemingly Sisyphean efforts of Maria, an asylum seeker trying to find a permanent home in NYC after escaping with her children from an abusive partner back in Ecuador. Another centers on Adama Bah and other humanitarian workers doing everything in their power to obtain food, shelter, and other basics for those in dire need. And another focuses on the efforts of a group of migrants forced to journey through the notorious Darien Gap, a stretch around the Colombia-Panama border that’s known for its dangerous natural conditions (including flash floods and venomous wildlife) and deadly human encounters (the land is rife with murderers, rapists, and robbers, all eagerly awaiting the next batch of asylum seekers to come around the corner).

So how does Roads of Fire end? Director Nathaniel Lezra reveals some information that suggests positive resolutions for select participants. It’s momentarily uplifting, but then we realize that this movie was shot before the Dictator-in-Chief empowered ICE in his reign of terror, and we’re left with the sinking feeling that Happily Ever After really does just belong in fairy tales.