I'm a huge fan of everything Optimist has put out, starting with their documentary Living On One Dollar, which is when they originally met Luis, the main subject of Five Years North. This film is gripping, and truly takes you through the highs and lows of the immigrant experience, from the angle of young Luis to the ICE officer whose background + upbringing is a pretty major reveal. Don't miss it -- add this to your watchlist asap.
27 Reviews
This movie will stay with you
elanamaloney21 July 2020
Once again, filmmakers Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci show us the human side of polarizing political issues. I have long used their previous films, Living on One Dollar and Salam Neighbor, in my writing classes to generate meaningful discussion, and now I'll definitely add Five Years North. Your heart will break for Luis, a young Guatemalan teen with responsibilities well beyond his years. The other side of the issue is humanized by Judy, the ICE agent who must enforce the law. The filmmakers don't preach but give you stories that will make you think twice before you generalize about issues like immigration, poverty, and refugees. Please watch this movie and encourage others to watch it, too.
Stirring film with direct applications in today's world
willparks-0242320 August 2020
Truly moving film that puts the viewer directly next to both sides of an incredibly pertinent issue in today's world. Told with frankness, empathy and compassion while never losing sight of its narrative purpose. An inspiring film.
Must-watch doc about immigration policy
neziatun1 September 2020
Multi-dimensional doc - what we need this year
Movieguy400018 November 2020
There's no collective truth anymore, but this film comes close to finding it. It feels nuanced and balanced through years and years of reporting. Can't talk about it without spoiling, but some of the moments and access the filmmakers got are insane.
Film of the times
kylemegrue20 August 2020
FYN provides a lense into the world of immigration in a way that humanizes the conflict like I've never seen. I'm was moved at how the film evokes empathy for a range of characters providing the viewer a bridge to new perspectives. This film should be seen by every politician working on immigration policy and every American who wants to connect with what it means to be a citizen.
Incredible
asarch-1892214 October 2020
Authentic, Emotional, Human
aryap2218 September 2020
This film beautifully weaves humanity into one of the most polarizing and difficult issues in the modern America. The depth in emotion and the complexity in identities gives viewers a nuanced way of understanding migration and ICE issues. It also touches on the structural inequalities in American institutions, the role of social media, and transnational identity. I am looking forward to watching more work from the innovative team at Optimist!
Amazing Film with Nuanced Plot
luchoslt20 August 2020
Five Years North was such an incredible watch and overall a riveting film. Especially in this day and age, when immigration has become such a hot-topic, Five Years North does a great job capturing the nuance behind the 'headlines' and revealing the truth that lies underneath the surface.
Heart wrenching, but inspiring
kfreiherrmann15 January 2021
This story delivers everything, and MORE. As the journey follows Luis, we are able to see his battles, cheers, and his kindness. The foil of his ICE officer provides such a strong distinction that builds a deep understanding in the two sides of immigration in society. This is not a typical immigration documentary, and its storytelling capabilities define its uniqueness.
Riveting & Remarkable
temple-ian20 August 2020
This film is a journey, and I couldn't stop watching. It's one of those films that leaves you changed, with your assumptions deconstructed and your biases laid bare. I wanted to talk about it with everyone I encountered.
Incredible Access
owendubeck17 July 2020
This film far exceeding my expections. From rural Guatemala to New York City, the film gives unique access to the personal lives on the characters. This really opened my eyes and changed the way I look at immigration in this country.
Multiple perspectives
annefreese9 September 2020
A film that offers multiple perspectives on the complexity of immigration to the United States told through the stories of people living it. This film deepens our understanding of the challenges individuals face as well as the system as a whole.
Optimist Succeeds Again
montypython-6729420 August 2020
In this new documentary from Optimist, Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci have once again found a way to humanize both sides of a politically-fraught issue. It makes an engrossing story which I recommend not just to students of politics and immigration but to anyone interested in getting a glimpse into the day-to-day struggles of a 21st century immigrant and of an officer dedicated to enforcing the country's immigration laws.
Two sides shown that open your heart and mind
ingrid-8507518 August 2020
I greatly enjoyed this documentary. It's very moving to see the young Guatemalan boy's daily life in NYC, how he's taken with everything in the city but he must survive and work long hours at such a young age to help his family. It opens your eyes to what migrants, refugees and immigrants go through in a way that you could never know on your own. And then on the other side of it, you learn more about ICE and how immigration law and its officers needs to reformed immediately. The filmmakers did an incredible job putting a human face to ICE and seeing how people end up on that path while never shoving ideas down your throat like some documentaries do. Just a truly moving, spellbinding documentary.
A must watch!
danielzoltani21 December 2020
Another inspiring and important film to watch by filmmakers Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci. The sequence of events and the personal stories offers a deeply personal look at our complex and daunting immigration system from multiple angles and perspectives. A must watch!
A very honest and cathartic display of the immigrant struggle
pathluca18 August 2020
Most of us have a very superficial view of immigrant status in the United States. What is talked about most, in general, is the pursuit across the border and how many immigrants end up detained no further than a couple miles into US soil. If, however, one does end up passing triumphantly, what then? Five Years North follows Luis, a young teen, who has emigrated from Guatemala to New York; the filmmakers, Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci, offer some insight on how the struggle doesn't just stop at the border for Luis but rather follows him in his daily responsibilities, most of which contradict the conventional duties one would assume a young adolescent 16-year-old upholds. The film's pacing is engaging and deliberate, with a great protagonist in Luis; definitely a must-see!
Best Documentary!
tgabato14 January 2021
A story that will make you question and rethink our immigration system. The stories highlighted in this film not only bring an empathetic lens to the American immigration system but also shows the resilience of immigrants and the Latinx community.
Great film with compelling characters facing complex challenges
mleder-5753018 November 2020
This is a really captivating film that cuts through politics and gets into the complex human truths underlying immigration and law enforcement. The moral dilemmas that Judy, the ICE officer, faces in her career and family are fascinating.
Inspiring and Moving
laurengiovannetti18 September 2020
Emotional and Thought Provoking
pushmichael25 August 2020
Five Years North provides a window into the lives of an undocumented immigrant boy and an ICE agent in New York City. This timely film puts human faces to an issue that is at the forefront of today's politics. I felt for Luis who is struggling to survive and create a better life for himself AND his family back home. What surprised me the most what how I also felt for Judy as she struggled to reconcile her family history with her career. This is a must watch.
Amazing film - will be fantastic for the classroom.
lrodgers-6662520 August 2020
I loved this film. It takes a complicated issue, and shows the human side. It's a-political and exactly the type of thought-provoking content that my students need. I've had the filmmakers speak to my students several times, and plan to bring them to show this film as well.
Truly Moving - A must see!
katieleszynski30 September 2020
Truly inspiring and eye-opening. This film gives viewers a snapshot of the struggles faced everyday by immigrants and even ICE authorities in America. It makes you connect with the resilience of Luis, and begin to empathize with his situation. It provides a platform for meaningful discussion about immigration and the various different sides to this complex issue.
One of the most touching documentaries I've seen in a while
sabrinasabir-4877818 August 2020
My heart broke for Luis, and seeing his optimistic, American-dream goals fade as he faces the challenges of being a young immigrant. Even more touching and surprising was understanding Judy and her life as an ICE agent. This film will really open your eyes to new perspectives, and is a wonderful movie to stimulate good and meaningful conversation!
Informative and inspiring
izzy-9676329 October 2020
In Five Years North, we see New York City through the lens of those overlooked and often invisible in society. It also explores the complex issue of working in ICE as a Latinx person who must follow glaringly unfair procedures within the deportation system, largely affecting undocumented migrants crossing the US/Mexico border. The blending of two narratives, one of 16 year old Guatemalan Luis (and his family back home), and the native-New Yorker and her similarly aged son who is training to become an ICE officer, offers an empathetic and comparative understanding of the reasons people brave the journey up North, and the efforts of ICE to deter these efforts.
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