Borderline by Juan Sebastián Vásquez and Alejandro Rojas does not evoke a mental illness but another very painful illness of our time. A young couple of foreigners who dream of settling in the United States find themselves stuck by the border police before being able to enter American territory. He must undergo very intrusive interrogation for hours by overzealous officers.
“We were inspired by our own experience and also by testimonies from those around us and we remained far below the reality which can be much more violent,” declares Alejandro Rojas to 20 minutes. The couple takes a hit when they have to answer intimate questions that could shake them or even destroy them as they prepare to make a new start.
A cantilevered spectator
In a cramped room, everyone sees their life revealed in every detail according to the imagination of the immigration agents. “We chose for the couple to be made up of a Spanish woman whose country reassures the Americans and a Venezuelan, an origin that worries them,” explains Alejandro Rojas. Their interrogation takes the form of a thriller, placing the viewer at odds between the desire to know more about the heroes and the revolt of seeing them mishandled in this way.
“Each member of the couple reacts according to their nationality of origin,” insists the director. She talks about her rights while being outraged at the treatment they are subjected to. He is more reserved and defensive. We understand that they have had different experiences in the past. » The border police have complete power over the arrivals, which creates gripping suspense around the dynamic that develops between the protagonists.
Locked up with them
The confinement that the characters experience reinforces the claustrophobic side of Borderline, trapping its heroes in a confined and hostile space. “We were surprised to see that the public considered the film primarily as a societal thriller and we were delighted because the entertaining side was essential for us. It allows us to better highlight the political dimension of the story that we wanted to be immersive,” says Alejandro Rojas;
The action takes place on the American border but what the heroes experience could easily happen elsewhere. “The suspicion the couple is subject to would be the same in other countries and on other continents. Anyone can experience this kind of thing. We would like to encourage the public to put themselves in their place during the screening,” insists the filmmaker. The strength of the film comes from this identification which leads to a fascinating reflection on what we are ready to accept in the face of arbitrariness.
A thousand-leaf of questions
Borderline presents itself as a mille-feuille of which each level of reading reveals a questioning. The accuracy of the situations (the performers obtained information from real immigration agents to adopt their attitudes) makes one deeply uncomfortable before an outcome that resembles a remarkably orchestrated coup de theater.