Review: A documentary giant turns his camera on an American shame in ‘Separated’

As a film critic with a keen interest in documentaries that delve into the complexities and contradictions of contemporary society, I found “Separated” to be a gripping and essential watch. Errol Morris has always had an uncanny ability to illuminate the darkest corners of American history, and this film is no exception.

In my opinion, when it comes to addressing intricate issues like immigration, the Trump administration’s approach of separating thousands of kids from their families felt like something straight out of the Middle Ages. This harsh move seemed to indicate a troubling trend in our modern political sphere – that insensitivity and cruelty were becoming more acceptable.

The chilling period that arose under Trump’s administration, a potential reoccurrence of which we face if he wins the upcoming election, is explored anew in Errol Morris’ Oscar-winning documentary titled “Separated.” Named after a book written by NBC reporter Jacob Soboroff, who features prominently in this film, it delves into the divisive “zero-tolerance” policy that escalated from increasingly hostile attitudes towards immigration over recent decades. This controversial policy sparked public outrage and legal intervention to eventually be halted by Trump via an executive order in the summer of 2018. Regrettably, not every child who was affected has been reunited with their parents to this day.

It’s no wonder Morris considers this questionable chapter significant enough for his intense scrutiny. Throughout his extensive career exploring America’s peculiarities and obscure past, he has occasionally trained his documentary lens on the roots and repercussions of government actions, notably with “The Fog of War” and “Standard Operating Procedure.” Morris possesses a unique ability to make us perceive things from multiple perspectives, allowing even the most contentious political matters – such as warfare and torture – to appear intrinsically connected to the complex emotions of those speaking into his distinctive interview tool, the Interrotron.

In a unique twist for a Morris production, “Separated” presents an uncommon moral landscape because the ethical issues are clear (as multiple interviewees have emphasized their disapproval of family separation as the worst thing they’ve ever witnessed), yet the controversial interviews typically found in Morris films, such as his exploration of Stephen K. Bannon, are absent. Characters like anti-immigration figurehead Stephen Miller, who may have orchestrated the policy, and Homeland Security head Kirstjen Nielsen, who endorsed it, do not offer their perspectives here (they chose not to participate). The representative from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) that Morris did manage to interview, Scott Lloyd, a known supporter of Miller, appears rather forgetful during his evasive responses.

From the inside perspective, it’s surprisingly enlightening and captivating, largely due to Jonathan White, a long-time social worker who once worked for ORR, and who seems deeply troubled by the fact that his team’s goal – safeguarding unaccompanied migrant children – was twisted for harmful purposes. He speaks passionately about his regret over not being able to prevent it.

White further reveals the deception that the administration presented their actions at the border as merely enforcing illegal entry laws, by separating parents from their children, which is comparable to any arrest of a citizen. However, it was never their intention to prosecute border crossers. Instead, according to White, their objective was to instill fear in families in order to deter people from entering. Journalists like Sobaroff, given access by the administration to overcrowded facilities housing traumatized children, many kept in cages, were intended to serve as messengers of this distressing warning to the world. As Sobaroff admits to Morris, “I was used.

A potential rephrasing could be: The main flaw in Morris’ otherwise compelling and chilling critique is regrettably quite significant: the inclusion of dramatic scenes featuring actors, focusing on a Guatemalan mother and son attempting to enter the U.S., and becoming entangled in the separation system. In these interspersed segments, characterized by an overly clinical detachment — they fail to function effectively as mini-dramas or complementary visuals — it appears that this documentarian, revered for his innovative work in blending factual storytelling, has made a rare misstep.

In retrospect, I wish some space in “Separated” had been dedicated to sharing personal accounts from the policy’s victims instead. Perhaps a deeper historical context could have also been incorporated. Nevertheless, the combined insights from the interviews and research, expertly woven together by Morris, are powerful enough to leave a profound impact.

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2024-10-12 00:02