Letters from the Other Side brings up one of the perennial questions about documentary filmmaking: how much should you involve yourself in your subjects' lives, and to what extent? Should you run the risk of potentially affecting the outcome of your film, or is it more important to help people you encounter while shooting? Some filmmakers make a serious attempt not to have much effect on the stories unfolding around them, and don't employ voice-overs or let themselves be heard in their film. Others, meanwhile, are themselves a big part of their stories, the best-known example being Michael Moore. Heather Courtney, director of Letters from the Other Side, obviously decided to help—in fact, the stories in the documentary hinge on Courtney's ability to deliver video "letters" back and forth between women in small Mexican towns and their male relatives working in the United States.

Letters from the Other Side eloquently manages to present stories that show the relationship between Mexico and the U.S. and the unexpected side effects of recent American trade laws and border-tightening regulations. Courtney's documentary examines three family situations: Eugenia, whose husband left for the U.S. years ago when she was pregnant with their youngest daughter, and whose three sons have followed their dad to find work; Maria, a farmer whose two older sons crossed the border, and who is worried that as she and her husband grow old, no one will be left to work their own land; and Carmela and Laura, whose husbands died on their journey to the U.S. in a smuggling truck.

One of the documentaries screening at SXSW, Letters from the Other Side, focuses on the stories of several women in Mexico with family members that moved to the United States. The women communicate with their loved ones and with immigration officials via video "letters." Letters from the Other Side debuted at Slamdance earlier this year.

Director Heather Courtney reports in a press release that the U.S. consulate in Mexico City has denied these women's requests for visas to visit Austin during SXSW. Courtney, festival staff, and even U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett all wrote letters on behalf of the women to no avail. Courtney, who lives in Austin, will be holding a fundraiser during SXSW for the Mexican women. She notes in her press release that the failed visa attempt underscores one of the themes of her film: while she as an American had no trouble filming and delivering the video letters from the women, it is far more difficult for Mexican citizens to enter this country legally.