Border Nation
TFI Suppport
IF/Then Shorts 2017 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
Logline
For seventy-five miles, the U.S.-Mexico border crosses the Tohono O’odham Nation – a Native American reservation and sovereign nation whose people live in both countries. For Ofelia Rivas, a tribal member and outspoken activist, the wall and the Border Patrol are more than an occupying force. They’re an affront to O’odham sovereignty and traditional ways of life. But with threats of new border infrastructure and stricter laws regarding entry into the US, can Ofelia’s traditions survive?
Jason Jaacks
Director
Jason Jaacks is a filmmaker focused on the social and environmental issues of our time. He’s ducked the border into Mexico with Tohono O’odham tribal members, followed a young woman as she defies death threats to save Mexico’s most polluted river, and scoured the Mayan forest with a worldrenowned biologist for giant carnivorous bats. He is a National Geographic Explorer and holds a Masters of Journalism from UC Berkeley.