Charlottesville-based film gives voices to immigrants

The Virginia Film Festival continued Saturday, October 28.
Published: Oct. 28, 2023 at 5:41 PM EDT
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The Virginia Film Festival continued Saturday, October 28.

One of the films shown is called Sometime, Somewhere and it highlights the struggles of Latinx people face when coming to the United States and why people sometimes walk thousands of miles to get here.

“I think that until we are conscious that there are many people here, the overwhelming majority of them who are hardworking, honest people, we’re not going to find a solution to anything,” Director Ricardo Preve said, “I am a film director originally from Argentina, but have been living in Charlottesville for the last 45 years.”

Preve says Sometime, Somewhere was created to give a voice to those who felt they had none and to spark conversations.

“We have thousands of people here in Charlottesville who are migrants, who get up every day, and contribute to our economy, who go to work, and they’re invisible. I wanted to change that,” Preve said, “I really hope that people begin to look at our immigrant community as human beings who are trying to do their best. I think and hope that we can have that dialogue about immigration issues instead of a conflict.”

The film features people and businesses from within the Charlottesville community including Sin Barreras, or Without Barriers, a nonprofit that supports and serves immigrant in the city.

“Our mission is to empower immigrants and their families in central Viriginia, focusing on the Hispanic community through education, advocacy, and direct support,” Community Engagement Director Edgar Lara said.

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