
No Se Ve Desde Acá
Season 11 Episode 1104 | 20m 34sVideo has Closed Captions
An experimental view of Miami’s restless pursuit of the American dream.
Moving through contemporary Miami and archives from 1930s Latin America, the film traces immigrant longing, wealth’s spectacle, and border politics. Suspended between arrival and belonging, it assembles observational vignettes into a meditation on the American Dream and collective uncertainty.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Support for Reel South is made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina, National Endowment for the Arts, and Wyncote Foundation.

No Se Ve Desde Acá
Season 11 Episode 1104 | 20m 34sVideo has Closed Captions
Moving through contemporary Miami and archives from 1930s Latin America, the film traces immigrant longing, wealth’s spectacle, and border politics. Suspended between arrival and belonging, it assembles observational vignettes into a meditation on the American Dream and collective uncertainty.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(mysterious music) (singer singing in a foreign language) (gentle music) (singer singing in a foreign language) (singer continues singing in a foreign language) (singer continues singing in a foreign language) (singer continues singing in a foreign language) (singer continues singing in a foreign language) (rhythmic electro music) YOU CAN'T SEE IT FROM HERE (rhythmic electro music continues) (singer continues singing in a foreign language) (singer continues singing in a foreign language) (singer continues singing in a foreign language) Do not leave us.
Do not leave us.
Why is it so difficult to understand.
We are one of the most unequal countries in the world.
(singer continues singing in a foreign language) (rhythmic electro music) (dramatic music) (dramatic music continues) - [Announcer] New horizons.
In a restless search for new opportunities and new ways of living, the mystery and the promise of distant horizons always have called men forward.
(uplifting music) - [Announcer 1] Originating in the spiritual values of liberty, and spurred on by a thrifty sense of progress.
(uplifting music continues) We live in an age of growing abundance.
(uplifting music continues) Our abundance is big and comes from bigness, as we grow and see all that is so wonderful in our land.
We may well remember, it is all developed from the practical dreams of those who came before us, and for our liberty to buy whatever we each may choose.
(uplifting music continues) (uplifting music continues) We are inside the sales office of one of the most spectacular buildings in Miami: Missoni Baia.
It is the first residential project by the Missoni brand in the United States.
249 units with 4,645 square meters of amenities.
Including a tennis court, Olympic pool, dog spa, and a state-of-the-art gym.
All units have views of the bay.
Obiously, the front units have a direct view as we can see here.
The building is already finished.
we can see it right here on the left Usually in Miami, when a developer is launching a project like this, they build a big model unit so people can appreciate finishes, the view, the size of the windows, and ceiling height which is very important to buyers.
(uplifting music) (uplifting music continues) The middle class.
That sense of "having" became their political agenda.
That's why they vote against us- they see us as enemies of having stuff.
Stop being poor.
But, how?
When deep down, we are revolutionaries.
And our that's our biggest problem because if escaping poverty means living like we're in Miami, than humanity is over.
It is that simple That is the Chinese model.
They have lifted people out of poverty.
Millions who are no longer poor.
The question is, what do these people do when they stop being poor?
They go buy a car.
And that's how humanity ends.
We shouldn't tie the middle class exclusively to having things.
But rather trying to give more intense dimension to life.
Instead of going to a mall.
Which is... Existence.
(uplifting music) (uplifting music continues) (uplifting music continues) (uplifting music continues) - Congratulations.
- Thank you.
That's it, right?
- And yeah.
Here's your receipt and you should get it at this, so this is a good address to receive it at, right?
- Yes it is.
- Okay.
So you should get it, so it'll probably be about seven weeks and then you get your naturalization back in a separate packet.
Okay, about four weeks later, okay.
- Okay.
- And let's see.
Are you doing expedite service or routine?
- No.
- So just the routine.
Okay.
(vehicle rumbling) (alarm beeping) (birds chirping) (gentle music) The majority of our buyers are final costumers.
They are looking for a second home.
There are six or eight flights per day to Colombia, for instance.
Countries like Ecuador, Chile, which were always a little more conservative when buying.
We now see buyers purchasing homes in Miami for three-, four-, or five million dollar homes.
(gentle music) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (Kennedy speaking in foreign language) - Is designed to transform this hope into a reality.
To satisfy the basic needs of our people, for work and land and hope and schools.
It expects within the next 10 years, a decade of development to be well on the way, satisfying these basic needs.
(rhythmic electro music) - [Reporter] And as swiftly as they had come, they were gone.
(plane roaring) - Quite a sight, wasn't it, sir?
- A sight I'd rather not be seeing.
- Are you worried about them, sir?
- Well, they must have a reason for their visits.
- Visits?
That would indicate visitors.
The big gun's a usual way of welcoming visitors.
- Where are they from?
Where are they going?
Where, where, where are they going?
Where are they from?
Yeah, I wonder what their next move will be.
(rhythmic electro music) (alarm chiming) (alarm continues chiming) (machinery rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) - [Interviewee 2] They are not strict enough, what they're letting in.
I'm afraid they're going to have trouble here because they're too lenient.
- [Interviewee 3] We should have nothing illegal in this country.
They're very anxious to get here.
But once they get here, they become our problem because they are not productive people, they don't work.
- [Interviewee 4] They think it's the promised land.
They think the streets are paved with gold and they think it's wonderful here.
And when they come.
(machinery rumbling) (gentle music) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (tense music) (tense music continues) (tense music continues) (box rumbling) (engine buzzing) (engine continues buzzing) (engine continues buzzing) (gentle electro music) (engine continues buzzing) (volunteers speaking in foreign language) Here at San Vicente, we try to help them.
Give them something while they're in transition.
And wait until they can go out and work.
They are arriving from all over.
Venezuela, Chile, Colombia.
Right now many people are emigrating here with children.
They're crossing the border, and they come here.
We help them with at least part of the food and also with hotels, giving them stay, trying to relocate them.
We can alleviate a bit of the burden.
(paper rustling) So it's not so hard to start a new life.
(gentle music) (attendees speaking in foreign language) (attendees continue speaking in foreign language) (tense music) I count the minutes.
Nervous of the clock.
(tense music continues) Route Notebooks.
Transient destinations.
A goodbye moistened by the breeze.
I travel with sadness.
I go through farewells between passengers run over by images.
Of faces that dissolve in the mist.
(tense music continues) (tense music continues) (tense music continues) Last night.
Something happened.
A fire.
It took place in a refuge.
Lives were taken.
39 migrants.
(tense music) (tense music continues) (tense music continues) If we don't do anything... We can only... The only thing we can do... Is to try... ...to try and slow them down.
Stop them.
And it's very, very hard.
(tense music) You came from where?
From Mexico?
From Mexico.
Let me see the flag.
Show me your little flag.
Let's see.
Hug your dad A special Christmas.
Yeah - [Tutor] I want you to look at where the eagle's head is turned.
- Peace.
- Peace.
- [Tutor] It's turned to the olive branch.
So it is always our commitment to want to turn towards peace.
All right, so you know all the questions, I can tell, and you haven't forgotten them, so that's great.
You come from countries, some of which don't elect their presidents, they select them.
You come from some countries where you are presumed guilty until you're proven innocent.
- Courage to leave your home, your lives, your loved ones, and come to a nation that was more than just a place, but rather an idea.
And today you've earned a new title equal of that of an American president.
The title I'm most proud of.
Citizen.
Citizen of the United States of America.
(rhythmic music) For some, we are evil.
For others.. We don't even exist.
But for a vast minority we are here (machinery rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (machinery continues rumbling) (gentle music) - [Announcer] Funding for "Reel South" is brought to you by ETV Endowment of South Carolina, National Endowment for the Arts, and Wyncote Foundation.
(gentle music)
Citizen of the United States of America
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S11 Ep1104 | 1m 31s | Immigrants and their families celebrate earning US citizenship. (1m 31s)
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipSupport for PBS provided by:
Support for Reel South is made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina, National Endowment for the Arts, and Wyncote Foundation.
















