The documentary feel of the film is best illustrated at the first attempt to get into Turkey. One night, a young boy of about eight takes Enayatullah and Jamal to the Iran-Turkey border. They have to hide because the border patrol is shooting at others trying to get into Turkey. There's no light at all except the occasional headlight from the guards' vehicles. The camera does the best it can to record the visuals but the constant movement and the strain on the camera's technical abilities produce streaks of blacks and whites across the screen. We only hear people running, guards shouting and guns firing. It creates suspense and does a great job of capturing the essence of the moment.

This film offers an honest look at the struggles of immigration and causes you to wonder what would you do in their place. Ultimately, it's about survival. Being in California it helps to put a face on the immigration problem we have here in regards to Mexico and other Latin American countries. Along the way the boys meet a young couple and their baby who are also heading to prosperity but like so many other families they don't get to complete the journey together. This will definitely be too harsh and realistic for some. Don't look for happy endings for all with everything tied up nice and neat like a sitcom. If you don't want to confront world issues in your entertainment, this will not be for you.

I enjoyed this movie thoroughly and found it satisfying on many levels. It was wonderful to be taken to another part of the world rarely seen in cinema and vicariously experience the struggles of others. The creators do an amazing job putting this movie together. Their stylistic choices, shooting on digital video, using non-actors, the abundance of long takes, all seemed to naturally derive from the story's parameters, even if they may have been financially motivated. It's the kind of film that installs in you a desire to make the world a better place. Please go see it. We need more films like this.