Home Is Somewhere Else

Home Is Somewhere Else is a 2022 Mexican-American adult animated documentary film written and directed by Carlos Hagerman & Jorge Villalobos (in his directorial debut).^[1] It tells three stories of migrant families who share their fears, hopes, and emotions about what it means to live undocumented in the United States.^[2]

Home Is Somewhere Else
Film poster
Directed by	Carlos Hagerman Jorge Villalobos
Written by	Carlos Hagerman Jorge Villalobos
Produced by	Carlos Hagerman Guillermo Rendón Jorge Villalobos
Starring	Jasmine Evelyn & Elizabeth José Eduardo Aguilar "El Deportee"
Edited by	Inger Díaz Barriga Alejandra Ruvalcaba Martha Uc
Music by	Javier Álvarez
Production companies	Brinca Animation Studio Shine Global
Distributed by	Artegios distribución
Release dates	June 15, 2022 (2022-06-15) (Annecy) June 17, 2022 (2022-06-17) (Guadalajara) September 26, 2022 (2022-09-26) (AFI) May 4, 2023 (2023-05-04) (Mexico)
Running time	87 minutes
Countries	Mexico United States
Languages	Spanish English

Synopsis

It tells 3 independent stories about undocumented immigrants in the United States. The first story is about Jasmine, who lives in fear that her parents will be deported; the second is about the sisters Evelyn (US citizen) and Elizabeth (undocumented immigrant) who live apart due to their different immigration statuses; and the last one tells the story of José Eduardo Aguilar "El Deportee" who was deported to Mexico at the age of 23 and since then became an activist and defender of the Mexican deportees.^[3]

Release

Home Is Somewhere Else had its international premiere on June 15, 2022, at the 41st Annecy International Animated Film Festival.^[4] It had its premiere in Mexican territory on June 17, 2022, at the 37th Guadalajara International Film Festival.^[5] Then, it premiered on September 26, 2022, at the AFI Latin American Film Festival^[6] and 4 days later at the GuadaLAjara Film Festival, Los Angeles.^[7][8] It was commercially released on May 4, 2023 in Mexican theaters.^[9]

Reception

Critical reception

Carlos Aguilar from Cartoon Brew wrote: "Hagerman and Villalobos succeed at portraying each person beyond their status, or lack thereof. The film finds moments of joy to highlight and endearing passages of everyday victories that enrich our perception of its characters. These are not extraordinarily talented individuals or those who have survived the most harrowing experiences, but average people who, as much as anybody else, deserve peace of mind and opportunities to live freely."^[10] Alejandro Alemán from El Universal wrote: "What makes this documentary new is its way of narrating, with animations in three different styles, the first story stands out... The result is absolutely beautiful, not only because of the inevitable emotion of each story but also because of the animations. and the empathy that this beautiful documentary spreads."^[11]

Accolades

Year	Award / Festival	Category	Recipient	Result	Ref.
2022	Annecy International Animated Film Festival	Contrechamp Award	Carlos Hagerman & Jorge Villalobos	Nominated	[12]
	Guadalajara International Film Festival	Best International Animated Film		Nominated	[13]
	DocsDF, International Documentary Film Festival of Mexico City	"Made in Mexico" Award		Won	[1]
	Havana Film Festival	Animation Jury Special Award		Won	[14]
	Morelia International Film Festival	Best Documentary Feature Film		Nominated	[15]
	International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam	Best Youth Film +14		Won	[16]
	Zanate Mexican Documentary Film Festival	Grand Prix Zanate - Honorable Mention		Won	[1]
	Montclair Film Festival	New Jersey Films Competition		Won	[17]
2023	San Diego Latino Film Festival	Documentary Audience Award	Carlos Hagerman, Jorge Villalobos & Mariana Marín	Won	[1][18]
	Cleveland International Film Festival	Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Award	Carlos Hagerman & Jorge Villalobos	Nominated	[19]
	Ariel Awards	Best Documentary Feature		Nominated	[20]
		Best Animated Feature Film		Won
2024	Platino Awards	Best Animated Film		Nominated	[21]