With an average of 200 murders a month, Tijuana is not an ideal locale for migrants to spend their time counting the months until a temporary visa may or may not be granted. Were it not for our president’s clear and present penchant for winnowing the flames of paranoia, and the media attention it brought forth, this so-called “brown invasion” might never have occurred. If one is to enter the titular geographical quagmire, it’s best to have Charlie Minn’s lens to act as a guide. With a roving camera hellbent on positioning itself in the center of the action, Minn’s cinéma vérité approach to the subject results in a harrowingly intimate look inside the lives of stuck people, many of whom are fleeing their homeland due to increasing gang violence. A veteran documentary journalist, Minn was given unparalleled behind-the-scene access to the migrant caravan and their subsequent arrival at the border. Local journalists Wendy Fry and Jean Guerrero add expert insight. Tickets for this engagement will be half-price. (2019) — Scott Marks