Border Witness

"Border Witness is an important primer for those interested in the evolution of the borderlands as told through film and the stories connected to its people, culture, politics, and ecology. It serves as an invaluable archive discussing the role that cinema has had in shaping an understanding of the stereotypes, misconceptions, and realities of the border on both sides."--Ron Rael, Chair of the Department of Art Practice and Professor of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley "This fresh look at border cinema combines personal memories and affective experiences on the US-Mexico border with film interpretation. Through a series of vignettes, this book takes a fluid historical journey across the different ways this border has been represented in the cinema. This agile and cultivated text constitutes a new piece in the complex puzzle of interpretations regarding the meaning of border life and its representations."--Norma V. Iglesias-Prieto, Professor Emerita, Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies, San Diego State University "Michael Dear takes us on a gripping account where fiction, real life, and lived experience intertwine to illuminate how the US-Mexico borderlands are portrayed and imagined. An original and persuasive journey along that shared space crisscrossed by enduring connections that no wall will ever break. A must-read for border scholars and all those intrigued by this fascinating border."--Christophe Sohn, Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Borderlands Studies "This exquisite book delves into the dynamics of filmmakers working in the social and geopolitical context of the dynamic US-Mexico border. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the way that cinema functions and the inspiration that it draws from reality. It has deep relevance for border filmmakers and audiences around the world."--Amos Gitai, Architect and Film Builder