Honorable Mention, Documentary

LA HISTORIA DE MATEO (MATEO'S STORY)

Malona P. Badelt

LA HISTORIA DE MATEO follows a family from Central America fleeing deadly gang violence with their two small children. When legally seeking asylum, one-year-old Mateo is torn from his father’s arms by U.S. immigration.

Regardless of your feelings on immigration, this investigative documentary about family separation at the US border is a must-see for every American. It covers one family’s journey to legally seek asylum in the US, and the painful trauma they endured as a result. The inhumane practice of separating children from their parents is a stain on our country’s history, and few documentaries so far have captured how devastating the experience is for all involved. Necessary, heartbreaking viewing. — Kath T (Programmer)

DETAILS

TAGS

Documentary, Politics, Social Justice/Human Rights, Family Friendly

DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY

Malona P. Badelt is an award-winning filmmaker who was born in Northern Germany. She received a B.A. in Sociology, with a minor in Film Studies from Smith College in 2002, and an M.F.A. in Producing and Directing from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California in 2005. Her films have screened at festivals worldwide, including Tribeca, Santa Barbara, and Sydney International Film Festival, among many others. She is married to film composer Klaus Badelt (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) and lives with her family in Los Angeles, California.