Grandma Has a Video Camera (2007)

"Life in the U.S. is good, but it's bad. Life in Brazil is bad, but it's good." Who are the many immigrants of today? What are they seeking when building their new lives? How do they see the new land and its people and where do they go to understand both? Do they belong here or there? And do they have to make that decision? Grandma Has a Video Camera is a 1-hour documentary about the use of home video by a family of Brazilian immigrants, which portrays their lives in the United States for over twenty years. From enchantment to disillusionment, from idealization to conformity, first-hand images and voices depict how newly arriving immigrants see their new world, and struggle to establish their final home. A first trip to see snow, a tour to the supersized supermarket or a video letter showing the latest motorcycle offers an intimate portrayal of the uncensored, the honest, and the amazed. What has emerged from 20 years of videotaping is an incredible portrayal of people overcoming barriers: their desires, their loneliness, and their fears, to make a dream come true.