“Sentenced Home” is a documentary produced, written and directed by David Grabias and Nicole Newnham. It is about three Cambodian refugees, Kim Ho Ma, Loeun Lun and Many Uch, two who are deported to Cambodia and the third who, at the end of the film, is awaiting deportation, respectively. The film follows their stories about why they are being deported and the hardships they face.

The film is presented very much like an unbiased documentary. The opinion on the situation of deporting refugees is expressed from various angles, including the people who are awaiting deportation and the officials who are enforcing the deportation laws. The U.S. officials explain the reasoning behind the U.S. deportation law and why it must be enforced, especially after 9/11.

The film utilizes music, scenes of the refugees’ everyday life and voice overs to convey the seriousness of the situation. Added to the somber mood of the documentary are the interviews with family members, friends, and officials who contribute their opinions and anecdotes to the situation the three refugees are faced with. The film switches between scenes of Seattle, where all the refugees lived, and Cambodia, but only after Kim Ho Ma arrives there, who is the first of the three to be deported.

I thought the film was moving because the three Cambodian refugees and their loved ones had to face such a hardship. They were forced to deport the United States because of a past mistake, which I agree is extremely unfair, especially since all three of them have served their time. It is inspiring because Loeun Lun and Many Uch are trying their best to improve their life with the best resources they have, and Many Uch is trying to provide an alternative for gang life for Cambodian American children.