It’s 2017 in Bisbee, Arizona, an old copper-mining town just miles from the Mexican border. The town’s close-knit community prepares to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Bisbee’s darkest hour: the infamous Bisbee Deportation of 1917, during which 1,200 striking miners were violently taken from their homes, banished to the middle of the desert, and left to die.

Townspeople confront this violent, misunderstood past by staging dramatic recreations of the escalating strike. These dramatized scenes are based on subjective versions of the story and “directed,” in a sense, by residents with conflicting views of the event. Deeply personal segments torn from family history build toward a massive restaging of the deportation itself on the exact day of its 100th anniversary.

Filmmaker Robert Greene confronts the current political predicaments of immigration, unionization, environmental damage, and corporate corruption with direct, haunting messages about solidarity and struggle. With consummate skill and his signature penchant for bending the boundaries of documentary, Greene artfully stirs up the ghosts of our past as a cautionary tale that speaks to our present.

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Dr. Samuel Echevarría-Cruz has served as a Professor of Sociology at Austin Community College (ACC) since 2009.  He currently serves as the Program Coordinator for the American Studies Degree Program housed within the Interdisciplinary Studies Department and as of Fall 2021 he was appointed Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Instruction. While at ACC, he has also held positions as chair of the Department of Sociology and Social Work and Dean of Liberal Arts for the Social and Behavioral Sciences. He also currently holds adjunct appointments in the MBA and MPH programs at Concordia University Texas. Dr. Echevarría-Cruz also served as a Fulbright Scholar in Romania during the 2015-2016 academic year. Dr. Echevarría-Cruz is originally from Brownsville, Texas, and graduated with a Ph.D. in Sociology/Demography from the University of Texas at Austin. Before coming to ACC, he held faculty positions in Sociology at the Ohio State University and Columbus State Community College. Previous professional positions also include roles at The University of Texas Austin in Human Resources, Academic Advising, and Senior Associate at the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). Dr. Echevarría-Cruz was also employed in the private sector as a survey statistician and statistical consultant. Dr. Echevarría-Cruz is happily married to his wife, Diane, and a proud father to five sons, three of which are attending ACC! He is also very proud of his Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage.