The Back of the World

A gripping, superbly constructed indictment of the way governments contribute to the destruction of their citizens' lives.

What saves this deeply affecting film from being merely a collection of wrenching cases is Corcuera's attention to detail.

Corcuera is a deft and determined storyteller, and it's a testament to his passion that we're left wanting to know a great deal more about each of his subjects.

Each of these stories is terribly sad and terribly moving in its own right. Yet the film that Mr. Corcuera has spun around them only increases the viewer's sense of helplessness and passivity. No solutions are suggested, no actions are proposed, no reflection is invited. The misery of these people becomes just another voyeuristic spectacle, to be consumed and forgotten.

Corcuera's unflinching documentary Back of the World is a real-life horror story told in three parts.

What the film lacks in general focus it makes up for in compassion, as Corcuera manages to find the seeds of hope in the form of collective action.