The Boats to Come
Upcoming (Fall 2025)
This observational film follows how two villages at the border between Panama and Colombia accommodate reverse migration in the Darién Gap. Each village is marked by the omnipresence of a particular object of an ambiguous humanitarian nature: motorbikes in one, mattresses in the other. The first village, once located along the initial northward migration route, saw its inhabitants invest heavily in motorbikes in 2021 to transport migrants from the piers to the entrance of the jungle. Today, this village finds itself in a state of passive, diffuse waiting; migrants are no longer attempting to reach Central and North America, and the village is not located along the official return route designated by migration authorities. Just 15 kilometers away lies another village, Puerto Obaldía, which is now situated on the official return route. Venezuelan migrants disembark there daily and typically spend one night before continuing their journey. Residents have made significant investments in mattresses to accommodate this flow.