An Hour From The Middle Of Nowhere

Summary

The film follows immigration lawyer Marty, who works in Stewart County, in the southwest of Georgia, home to one of the largest deportation prisons in the U.S. In 2023 alone, around 33,000 people were incarcerated here. Most of them have committed no crime, yet the conditions of confinement are little different from those in U.S. prisons. Within a 140-mile radius, there is no private immigration attorney, so Marty and his paralegal Alondra fight daily against the arbitrariness of the courts. The film showcases various cases and follows the emotional journey of a family through the legal process, culminating in a court hearing. It addresses the difficult and inhumane structures of the immigration system. Filmed over a period of five years, the film offers a sober and detailed portrayal of the work in an environment marked by deportation and legal uncertainty.