Treating everyone fairly is part of what I think of as the American Way: if you’re doing the right thing, you shouldn’t be victimized for irrelevant reasons, and if you’re trying to make things right, you should be helped rather than hindered. It’s a nice thought that doesn’t always work out in real life, as evidenced in Emma V.F.’s documentary short “Water Cooler” which is screening this afternoon on the closing day of the Saint Louis International Film Festival as part of a shorts program about immigration enforcement and justice.
“Water Cooler” makes a good pairing with another short on the same program, “ICED out of America,” because while the latter focuses on moments of action, “Water Cooler” situates itself primarily in the down times of ICE officers, when they’re shooting the shit and waiting for something to happen (hence the title). Both were shot in the corridors outside immigration courts in Federal Buildings in New York City (cameras are not allowed in the courtrooms) and both ultimately draw attention to the abuses suffered by immigrants reporting to scheduled hearings (i.e., complying with the law), but the look and feel of the two films are very different.
You may wonder, as I have, what kind of a person becomes an ICE agent. There’s no draft so they’re all there by choice, and no one living in modern America could fail to understand the kinds of things the job may require them to do, so who would sign up for that? I also wonder how they feel when they’re carrying out tasks that may upend and destroy the lives of people doing the best they can in difficult circumstances. This film takes the approach that maybe we can learn something by observing ICE agents when they’re waiting for the next moment of action, , which is an interesting and fruitful choice.
What do these agents talk about? Mostly the kind of things most people talk about to pass the time: sports, the weather, Black Friday Sales, their job assignments. Most of the agents are male, but their supervisor is female and Spanish speaking; she also stands out from the pack by actually revealing her face, while the men mostly hide behind gaiters and hats. Everyone’s very relaxed until they spot an immigrant who appears to be one they’re looking for (they have lists and photographs), at which point they spring into action as if pouncing on elusive game during hunting season.
“Water Cooler” leaves the question “what are they thinking?” up to the viewer to decide. I’m glad no explanations are offered, because I’d expect anything an ICE agent would say to be self-justifying, and why give them the airtime when they already hold all the power? Talk is cheap but actions aren’t and what is observed in “Water Cooler” is people inflicting terrible harm on others while remaining apparently disconnected from any awareness of the consequences of their actions. That’s a scary thought no matter the context and makes me wonder what kind of a country I’m living in (but I think I know, unfortunately).
It’s not the usual thing to run full-length reviews of short films, but I’m trying it out for this edition of SLIFF because I think the usual collective reviews are inadequate. On the one hand, you only have room for a few sentences about each film, which doesn’t tell the audience much, while on the other a group review doesn’t draw much attention to any individual film. I’m also focusing on documentary shorts because I think more people should give them a try. Take it from me: the docs I’m reviewing for this festival are nothing like the boring films you fell asleep to in high school and spotlight filmmakers are using all kinds of creative techniques to tell factual narratives. | Sarah Boslaugh
