Five Years North

Documentary - 2020 - USA - English, Spanish - 86 minutes

This is the gripping, coming-of-age story of 16-year-old Luis, an undocumented Guatemalan boy who just arrived alone in New York City, set against the experience of Judy, a veteran ICE officer and first-generation Cuban immigrant. Luis has come to the U.S. to make money for his family back home, all of whom are relying on him for their very survival. Getting by as a delivery boy and a cook, Luis faces all the obstacles of being an undocumented worker, with the added burdens of his young age: homesickness,  mandated participation in the NYC school system, and social workers monitoring his every move. Above all, he needs to avoid being caught by ICE. Judy patrols Luis’ Brooklyn neighborhood, and must weigh the human cost of her work at ICE against the uncertain future her family would face without her paycheck. The film is intimate and observational — following Luis, Judy, and Luis’ family back in Guatemala for more than three years to provide a fresh and valuable entry point to understanding America’s immigration system.

Official Selection: Full Frame Doc Festival, Seattle Film Festival, DocLands Film Festival, DocNYC

Winner, Grand Jury Prize- Metropolis Competition, 2020 DocNYC

Winner, Grand Jury Prize- 2020 Rhode Island International Film Festival

Winner, Grand Jury Prize- DocPitch, 2019 DocLands Film Festival

Finalist, 2021 Dupont-Columbia Award for Outstanding Journalism

MountainFilm 2019 Commitment Grant Winner