Lifetime Tackles the Crisis at the U.S. Border in "Torn from Her Arms"

"I was immediately attracted to the story," said Reyes (pictured below) while recently promoting the project. "I've [followed] the issues on the border for the last four years, since it gained all that attention, and it really mattered to me as a mother. I'm completely heartbroken by the fact that a government would separate children from their parents, and I can't imagine what it's like. The thought of it always made me cry, so it felt like a gift when [this] came in my direction. To be able to participate in the telling of this story, I was excited and honored to be a part of it. The truth is, if women don't do it, it just don't get done. This film [has] all these women fighting for each other, for themselves, for the truth, and for what's right."

"I didn't get a chance to meet Ginger in person," Ruben explained. "I came into [this] quite late in the process and just prior to the film starting production. But I did end up meeting her via Zoom shortly thereafter. She is extraordinary. She's a Pulitzer Prize winner and has been a journalist for many decades now. She's extremely committed to the truth. Journalism has been under attack, particularly under the leadership of the same person that implemented the Zero Tolerance Policy, so I think that kind of goes hand-in-hand with the destruction of the truth, humanity, and what many of us experienced either as unfortunate witnesses, or part of the destruction of those two things as [this] story reveals.

"Ginger, as you can imagine during that time when the story broke, did travel to Texas," she continued. "She was not the only journalist who wanted to get the story. That's how our story unfolds. But there was, and I believe this very strongly, a continuous effort and dedication and drive and commitment to true journalism making its mark because eventually the truth [was] revealed. Whether people choose to believe the truth, we have no control over, but for those journalists like Ginger Thompson, the fight continues. I've portrayed living people before, but she's kind of a rock star in my book, she's amazing."

For Molina, who gives a deeply moving portrayal of the anguished mother, bringing this story to the screen was crucial. "It's really, really important for me as a Mexican," she shared. "I have no doubt of this story. I think this is a call about what has happened and continues happening. It's important that people can watch this movie and this story. I know we are speaking for a lot of people, and I'm sure many people are going to understand what we want to say, [that] this is not correct, and we want these situations changed. We need changes in all the world. I'm so glad to be a part of this project and share [it] with these amazing people and these amazing actresses. I know this is a big, big call to a lot of people, and I feel good."

In keeping with the story's authenticity, much of Molina's dialogue is in the character of Madrid's (and her) native Spanish. "For me, [that] was very important," explained Reyes of the filmmaker's decision. "It speaks to the authenticity, although it challenges the audience to keep up. The fact is, that's probably part of the challenge of the situation that caused this so-called Zero Tolerance Policy -- when people are not familiar [with it]. It allows us to step into another's person's struggle through their very experience.

"For me, it was exciting to have a film that presents the Spanish," she added in closing. "It was very important to all of us. There was no reason not to. Obviously, you have to allow a balance, but I think we did a really wonderful job, and I appreciate Lifetime for bringing the story to you."

Torn from Her Arms will be telecast Saturday, October 30 at 8 p.m. on Lifetime.

Click the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleagues.

The opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author and/or subject(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.com/MyersBizNet, Inc. management or associated writers.