Film Screening in Jersey City Tells the Story of Teenage Migrants

On Friday night, a group of neighbors will gather in the basement of Grace Church Van Vorst, not for a potluck or a choir practice, but to watch a film that asks a hard question: What does it take for a child to leave everything behind?

The documentary, Which Way Home, follows unaccompanied minors as they travel from Central America to the United States. It shows what happens before they reach the border — the trains they hop, the deserts they cross, the fear they carry. And it does all of this without a narrator, without a lecture. Just faces. Just stories.

For Hudson County residents, this isn’t an abstract issue. Thousands of migrant families have arrived in New Jersey over the past few years. Some have settled in Jersey City. Others have passed through, staying briefly in shelters or with relatives before moving on. The film offers a chance to understand what those families lived through before they got here.

The screening starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 25, at 279 Second Street, near the corner of Newark Avenue. Organizers say the event is free and open to the public, though donations will be accepted to support the church’s outreach efforts.

The journey behind the headlines

We hear a lot about border crossings. We hear numbers — thousands of apprehensions, millions of encounters. What gets lost is the human weight of those numbers. The film, directed by Rebecca Cammisa, was nominated for an Emmy and an Oscar. It doesn’t try to shock or sensationalize. Instead, it spends time with kids like Kevin, a 12-year-old from Honduras who makes the trip alone, hoping to find his mother in the United States.

These children often travel with smugglers, or in groups of strangers. They ride atop freight trains known as La Bestia — the Beast. They dodge bandits, corrupt police, and the constant threat of dehydration. By the time they reach the Rio Grande, they have already survived things most adults could not imagine.

Yet the film isn’t just about suffering. It’s about resilience, too. It shows kids who still laugh, still dream, still talk about becoming doctors or mechanics. They are not victims first. They are humans who happen to be young and who happen to be traveling through a broken system.

What it means for Jersey City

Jersey City has long been a gateway city — a place where people from all over the world arrive and begin again. The city’s public schools serve students who speak dozens of languages. Its neighborhoods are shaped by generations of immigrants. This film connects that local story to a larger one.

The timing matters. Right now, federal policy around unaccompanied minors is in flux. Some children are being released to sponsors in the U.S., including family members here in Hudson County. Others sit in detention. The film doesn’t argue for a particular policy. It just shows what’s at stake in the debate.

For parents in the audience, the film might hit especially close to home. One mother I spoke with said she’s bringing her teenage son. “I want him to see what other kids his age go through,” she told me. “Not to make him feel bad, but to make him understand.” That’s the quiet power of a good documentary. It opens a door.

Voices from the community

Tris McCall, the writer who covered the screening for the Jersey City Times, described the film as essential viewing for anyone who wants to move beyond simplistic arguments. “We know it’s dangerous to cross the border,” he wrote. “But we don’t always think about the hardships migrants endure on the long, rocky route to the Rio Grande.”

Grace Church Van Vorst has a history of hosting conversations like these. The church runs a food pantry, a community garden, and offers space for local groups. The screening is part of its broader effort to bring neighbors together around issues that matter.

What to watch for

If you miss Friday’s showing, don’t worry. The film is available on HBO Max and other streaming platforms. But watching it in a room with other people changes the experience. There’s something about sitting together, in the dark, sharing that weight.

Organizers haven’t announced a follow-up event yet, but it’s a safe bet that if there’s interest, there will be one. The church is active on social media and updates its website regularly. Check their page or stop by the office if you want to get involved.

This Friday, a seat might be waiting for you. It’s not a big hall or a fancy theater. Just a church basement on Second Street, where neighbors will sit together and try to understand a little more about the world — and about each other.