On the Johannesburg to Dakar leg of the flight I watched the movie, The Visitor, written and directed by the same guy who did Sideways. The movie follows the troubling and familiar dynamic of poor brown people from the third world depending on the seemingly heroic gestures a grumpy white guy who ends up getting the girl and (not quite) saving the day. But even taking all of that into account, I still think it was a great flick and highly recommend it. It inspires empathy. And for anyone who hasn’t dealt with the torturous bureaucracy and unpredictability of the United States immigration system, it should be required viewing.
In related news, people are getting damned tired of trying to visit the United States. That won’t help our tourism industry in a time when we could sure use the money.
I loved this movie and so did my mom. It made her cry, she was able to relate because when she came to the U.S. she lived here illegally for the first few years. This film must have brought back those feelings for her.