Torn Apart

Separated at the Border

HBO Documentary Films presents the stories of two mothers and their children in TORN APART: SEPARATED AT THE BORDER. Directed and produced by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Ellen Goosenberg Kent (*Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1*), the intimate 40-minute film follows two mothers who were each separated from their children in the United States for months and are desperate to reunite with them.

After fleeing violence that claimed the life of her husband and two uncles in Honduras, María was detained and separated from her 10-year-old son Alex for 70 days, while Vilma, who fled from her abusive husband in Guatemala, was placed in ICE detention and saw her 11-year-old daughter Yeisvi put in foster care for eight months.

The film tracks both women as they navigate a complicated system that has placed their children thousands of miles away with little access to communicate with them. With the help of pro-bono lawyers and community volunteers, Vilma and María eventually reunite with Yeisvi and Alex – and await uncertain futures as their asylum claims are still pending.

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