The Infiltrators

This part-documentary, part-drama film pays tribute to the courage of young Dreamers advocating for immigration reform from within a detention center. It may take you a brief moment to adjust between the documentary footage and the reenactments. But once you're used to the format, The Infiltrators uniquely and authentically tells the daring story of two activists (who were at the time protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program) who willingly gave themselves up to the Broward Transitional Center in order to find detainees they were fairly sure they could lobby to free. The film's hybrid nature lets viewers see interviews and footage before, during, and after the semi-undercover campaign. The professional actors add even more drama by reenacting the difficulties of life in the for-profit center.

What's remarkable about the film is that it takes place during Obama's administration (at the time, the president was sometimes referred to as the Deporter in Chief by immigration activists), when it was mostly criminals who were targeted for deportation. Eight years later, the situation for undocumented immigrants (even children) is startlingly, dramatically, more dire. In The Infiltrators, immigrants and refugees are depicted with respect: They're human beings who sought asylum and freedom, many with children in tow. The filmmakers are clearly sympathetic to the plight of all immigrants, not just those with papers, and the film sheds light on how poorly this country can and does treat the (mostly) voiceless population.