New Film, “A Better Life”, Attempts to Put a Human Aspect on the Immigration Debate
A undocumented alien’s plight lodged itself in producer Paul Junger Witt’s heart, pushing him for 25 years to bring the dramatized story to life onscreen.
“A Better Life,” the result, is the rare Hollywood film that focuses on a Latino family in the United States and, rarer still, takes an intimate view of the price paid by illegal immigrants making their bid for the American dream.
The movie, opening Friday, is intended to be apolitical regarding the immigration issue, Witt said, but he wants it to spark more than ticket sales.
“I think people on both sides can politicize it and that’s not unhealthy, because it will promote dialogue and discussion. This issue isn’t going away,” he said. “If that’s one of the results of this film coming out, so be it. It needs to be talked about.”
Witt is a veteran Hollywood producer with credits including “The Golden Girls” and films such as “Insomnia” and “Three Kings.”