人兽性交

The Social Justice Award, presented in partnership with , recognizes an outstanding film that seeks justice, enlightens and informs an audience about people who are marginalized, devalued or vulnerable in society. Forbidden, a feature-length documentary, follows the life of Moises Serrano, a young, gay undocumented immigrant.

From left to right: Lecia Brooks, 人兽性交 Outreach Director, Moises Serrano, Heather Mathews, and Tiffany Rhynard.

鈥�Forbidden gives a powerful voice to undocumented immigrants and the LGBT community by showing in vivid detail the experiences of these communities,鈥� said Lecia Brooks, 人兽性交 outreach director. 鈥淎nybody who believes that immigration reform should simply be deporting people like Moises must watch this film to see the real lives and families affected by our nation鈥檚 immigration policies.鈥�

The 人兽性交, which has won two Academy Awards for its , hopes the new award will encourage other filmmakers to seek out important social justice stories and bring them to the screen where they can educate and inspire audiences to take action.

In Forbidden, viewers learn that Serrano, an immigrant rights activist living in North Carolina, emigrated with his parents from Cancun, Mexico, when he was 18 months old. His parents picked tobacco and strawberries for a living. They later moved on to work in chicken houses as he lived a typical American childhood in rural Yadkin County, North Carolina.

Growing up, Serrano found himself rejected by both Mexican-American peers who viewed him as 鈥渢oo white鈥� and white classmates who bullied him for being gay. He now travels across his home state speaking to community groups and lawmakers on behalf of undocumented immigrants.

The film stands out for its depiction of how the United States depends on the labor of immigrants like Serrano鈥檚 parents, Brooks said. Serrano鈥檚 family was systematically marginalized and denied vital services like drivers鈥� licenses. Serrano calls it 鈥減sychological warfare.鈥� Depression, he says in the film, can settle over undocumented people as a result of living in fear.

鈥淢oises embodies the lived experience of the Dreamers,鈥� Brooks said, referring to the young people who could benefit from the DREAM Act, a proposed law that would provide undocumented minors with provisional residency and eventually permanent residency after meeting certain conditions.

The film makes clear that an immigration policy based on executive orders from the president isn鈥檛 enough. Serrano鈥檚 family needs comprehensive immigration reform that would provide relief for his 33-year-old sister as well as his parents.

鈥溾�榃ith liberty and justice for all鈥� 鈥� as children, we uttered these statements when we were pledging allegiance to our country, when we were recognizing our country,鈥� Serrano says in the film, speaking to a group of activists during a visit to the North Carolina capital. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time our country recognized us.鈥�

The film raises awareness of issues faced by undocumented immigrants when it comes to driver鈥檚 licenses and access to college education. Serrano also turns the camera on his family life to showcase moments such as hikes with the children, opening presents on Christmas Eve and his boyfriend learning to cook.

Forbidden will screen at festivals around the country throughout October. Director Tiffany Rhynard hopes for wider distribution. The film recently secured an online educational distribution contract with Kanopy, a streaming service accessed through college and university libraries. Wider distribution could increase awareness of issues undocumented immigrants face, but also the work and lives of activists like Serrano.