Migration is often reduced to statistics and political debates, but Jacqueline Baylon’s latest documentary, Until He’s Back, humanizes the experience, placing the focus squarely on the personal cost of migration. In an intimate conversation, Baylon and I discussed the inspiration behind her deeply moving film, her personal connection to the story, and the challenges of capturing the human experience without exploiting it.

Baylon begins by explaining that the story of Until He’s Back is deeply personal to her, as she herself is an immigrant. "My mother and I crossed the US-Mexico border—the Rio Grande—when I was about six years old," she recounts. "That experience shaped who I am today and influenced the kind of coverage I went on to do as a journalist. I’ve covered civil rights and justice, but a lot of my career has focused on migration and immigration issues."

Over the last three years, Baylon has spent more time in Spain, where her partner lives, and she was struck by the realization that Spain faces similar challenges with immigration as the United States. "People think of Spain as this beautiful place to vacation, eat tapas, and go to the beaches," Baylon says, "but in reality, they’re dealing with issues very similar to the U.S. Instead of a desert and a river, it’s the Mediterranean."

What stood out to Baylon was the lack of coverage on those who lose their lives during their migration journeys and the families they leave behind. "We often focus on the journeys—which are incredibly important—but we don’t cover what happens when tragedy strikes," she adds. Until He’s Back aims to change that narrative.

As I listened to Baylon describe her personal journey, I couldn't help but draw parallels between her story and the experiences portrayed in Until He’s Back. Baylon agrees, noting that while her situation differed from Ahmed's family—the subject of her film—she understood the sense of uncertainty and the search for a better life that drove their actions. "His son left without telling anybody, and I was able to share my own experience of why I left," she explains. "It didn’t necessarily make things better, but I understood the search for a better life. If his son had made it, it could have been worth it."

One of the film’s most powerful scenes is when Ahmed takes a walk with his granddaughter. "It shows that life continues, even with all the grief," Baylon says. "Ahmed has this potential opportunity to have a proper goodbye with his son, and that’s what he’s fighting for." Baylon wanted to convey empathy without sensationalizing Ahmed’s struggle. "I didn't want to tell a typical sob story. I wanted to show how hard he was fighting, but also that life goes on."

Filming such an intimate story presented its challenges. Baylon faced obstacles, particularly as a woman filming in Morocco, a male-dominated environment. "For example, at the funeral, the body went home first because women aren’t allowed in the cemetery," she recalls. "I wasn’t sure if, after all the time we’d spent together, Ahmed would say, 'Sorry, no women allowed.' But we had a really special connection—one that transcended language. When it came to the funeral, he spoke to his family, and they let me film."

Baylon also worked with a female cinematographer, Carmen Molina, which helped ease some of the cultural challenges. "I think it also helped that I was Western. I’m not sure it would have gone the same way if I were Muslim," she admits.

On the Spanish side, Baylon faced a different kind of challenge with Martin, the mortician, who had been featured extensively in the media. "I had to gain his trust and convince him that what I was doing was serious and focused on the family," she explains. "It took a long time to get everyone’s trust, but we did it."

The visuals in Until He’s Back are hauntingly beautiful, and Baylon's approach to capturing Ahmed’s story was one of restraint. She collaborated with three cinematographers, often working with two at a time in rotation. "We never knew when we’d need to film," Baylon says. "Martin would get an update, and we’d have to head out immediately. I communicated with the cinematographers that I wanted to avoid being in the subjects’ faces—to capture as much as possible without being intrusive."

Baylon was inspired by films like A House Made of Splinters and Fire at Sea, both of which approach their subjects with a delicate lens. "The lens is present but not overwhelming," she explains. "I was lucky to find a team that had the same sensitivity as me and fell in love with the project, regardless of the budget."

With so much material, the editing process was another challenge. Baylon always knew she wanted to make a short film, but the initial rough cut was around 50 minutes. "We shot a lot, including scenes with Martin that didn’t make it in," she says. "Originally, I thought it would be a profile on Martin, so we spent a lot of time with him. In the end, it became a more powerful story by focusing on Ahmed’s journey from the beginning."

Baylon’s goal was to tell both an intimate story and to shed light on the broader Mediterranean refugee crisis. "I wanted people to be able to relate to Ahmed, but I also wanted to make sure it didn’t feel like a distant issue," she says. "We always knew we wanted it to be a short. We dropped some scenes, but nothing we deeply missed."

Until He’s Back has already received significant recognition, including selections at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, where it took home the Jury Award for Best Short, the Hamptons International Film Festival, where it won first prize for Short Film, and the El Paso Film Festival. It also received a special mention at Mountain film Festival in Telluride. The film's New York City premiere took place at DOC NYC, the largest documentary film festival in North America. Until He’s Back screened on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at 2:45 p.m. at East Village by Angelika, and was followed by a Q&A with Baylon. most recently, UNTIL HE’S BACK” HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR AN IDA DOCUMENTARY AWARD IN THE BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY CATEGORY. IDA MEMBERS CAN WATCH AND VOTE BY DECEMBER 1ST, 2024.

In addition to the DOC NYC screening, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson will host an exclusive screening and reception on November 25th, further boosting the film’s profile. "From the start, I just wanted to do justice to the family," Baylon says. "Of course, the way to do that is to get the film seen by as many people as possible, and as I’ve learned, the way to do that is to get accolades. Even though that’s not what I’m chasing, if those accolades help get the film to more people, then that’s what we’re doing. Thankfully, it will also be on POV starting November 26th, which is awesome."

Looking forward, Baylon plans to continue exploring social justice issues through documentaries. "Civil rights and social justice have always been my interests, and there’s a lot of overlap with immigration," she says. "I have a couple of documentary projects in the works that I can't talk about yet. Maybe someday I’ll do narrative work, but for now, it’s still documentaries—especially on immigration and civil rights topics."

Baylon’s passion for telling these stories is evident, and with Until He’s Back, she’s created a powerful film that not only sheds light on the human cost of migration but also challenges viewers to see migrants as people—people with hopes, struggles, and stories that deserve to be told.

Where To Watch:

The film screened on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 at 2:45pm at DOC NYC and was followed by a Q&A with director Jacqueline Baylon.

Until He's Back is screening online through DOC NYC until December 1, 2024 and on POV starting November 26th, 2024

As part of the film’s release in New York, there will be an exclusive screening and reception hosted by The Root’s drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson on November 25th.

for our international readers Until he’s Back will be screening at The PriMed, International Festival of Mediterranean Documentary film on December 4 at 3.30pm: The Alcazar Library in Marseille.

Watch The Trailer For Until he’s Back Below:

Jonathan Moustakas: Awesome Jacqueline, thank you so much for sitting down with me today. Your film Until He's Back was so moving and shed light on a topic that's very relevant today. We don't often see the human cost of migration, and your ability to tell the story with such empathy and depth was truly remarkable. I wanted to start with—given the emotional and politically charged nature of this topic, what drew you specifically to the story about Ahmed and his family?

Jacqueline Baylon: Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it. Well, the story is quite personal to me because I myself am an immigrant to the United States. My mother and I crossed the US-Mexico border—the Rio Grande—when I was about six years old, and I think that shaped who I am today. It also influenced what kind of coverage I went on to do later when I became a journalist. As a journalist, I have covered civil rights and justice, but I've also focused a lot of my career on covering migration and immigration issues. Over the last three years, I've been frequenting Spain more because that's where my partner lives, and I realized that Spain is also facing a lot of similar immigration issues that the US is dealing with. I was just shocked to learn that because I think people often see Spain as this beautiful place to vacation, eat tapas, and go to the beaches. But in reality, there are very similar issues happening there.

Jonathan Moustakas: Yeah, exactly.

Jacqueline Baylon: Instead of a desert and a river, it's the Mediterranean. That's what initially caught my attention. The second thing that caught my attention was the fact that I hadn't really seen much coverage on who the people who actually die are. I was curious as to why there wasn't more focus on identifying who these people are and what happens to the families they leave behind. I think that, in general, immigration stories around the world tend to focus on the journeys—which are incredibly important—but we often overlook what happens when a tragedy occurs.

Jonathan Moustakas: Yeah, of course. I completely understand and agree. I've become a bit more well-versed on this topic myself, as my mother works for an organization that raises awareness and funds for immigration reform within the United States. She's been down to El Paso and seen some of the detention centers.

Jacqueline Baylon: Oh, that's where I'm from.

Jonathan Moustakas: Yeah, I saw the mention, and it brought it to mind. The stories of children and families being separated... The names of those impacted just kind of fade away, and I think this all came across beautifully in your film. You touched on it briefly, but given that migration is such a deeply personal experience for you, how did your personal journey shape the lens through which you wanted to tell this story cinematically?

Jacqueline Baylon: For me, I always felt that immigrants should be portrayed as normal people—people just trying to live their lives. My background helped me figure out how I wanted to tell Ahmed's story because I didn't want to tell a typical sob story. Of course, you see Ahmed going through this incredibly difficult time, fighting to bring his son back. But I wanted to show how hard he's fighting, as well as the moments where life goes on. One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Ahmed takes a walk with his granddaughter. It shows that life continues, even with all the grief, and that he has this potential opportunity to have a proper goodbye with his son. That was the kind of empathy I wanted to convey, without sensationalizing the experience.

Jonathan Moustakas: Did you see any parallels between your personal experience and what was playing out with Ahmed and his journey?

Jacqueline Baylon: Yeah, I mean, the biggest thing I saw was the unknown—not being able to communicate. My mother and I communicated with my grandmother, and we survived, obviously, so there's really no comparison. But I did feel that I understood why his son left, in a way that Ahmed didn't quite understand. His son left without telling anybody, and I was able to share my own experience of why I left. It didn't necessarily make things better, but I understood the search for a better life, and I think if his son had made it, it could have been worth it.

Jonathan Moustakas: Did you feel it was easier for you to build trust with Ahmed given your background? The film really highlights the logistical and emotional struggle of repatriating a loved one. What were some of the challenges you faced beyond gaining trust?

Jacqueline Baylon: Yeah, it was challenging. I was a woman filming in Morocco, which is a very male-dominated environment. For example, at the funeral, the body went home first because women aren't allowed in the cemetery. I wasn't sure if, after all the time we'd spent together, Ahmed would say, "Sorry, no women allowed." But we had a really special connection—one that transcended language. When it came to the funeral, he spoke to his family, and they let me film. I also had a female cinematographer, Carmen Molina, which helped. I think it also helped that I was Western. I'm not sure it would have gone the same way if I were Muslim. That was one of the challenges.

Jonathan Moustakas: Interesting.

Jacqueline Baylon: On the Spain side, I also had issues. For example, I caught Martin—the mortician—at a difficult time. He'd been covered by the media quite a bit and wasn't interested in more coverage. I had to gain his trust and convince him that what I was doing was serious and focused on the family. It took a long time to get everyone's trust, but we did it.

Jonathan Moustakas: Of course. The biggest fear must have been that there wouldn't be justice done to the lives lost or the story being told, and I think that came across beautifully. The visuals in the film are hauntingly beautiful. Could you share your approach to capturing the story? How did you collaborate with your cinematographer to convey the immense tragedy without exploiting the subjects?

Jacqueline Baylon: I worked with three cinematographers, often two at the same time, in a rotation because we never knew when we'd need to film. Martin would get an update, and we'd have to head out immediately. I communicated with the cinematographers that I wanted to avoid being in the subjects' faces—to capture as much as possible without being intrusive. One film that really inspired me was A House Made of Splinters. It was all about telling a raw story without being too close. Fire at Sea was another inspiration. The lens is present but not overwhelming. I was lucky to find a team that had the same sensitivity as me and fell in love with the project, regardless of the budget.

Jonathan Moustakas: Yeah, of course. Most of the audience here is aspiring or working filmmakers, so I'd love to touch on the technical aspects. What did you shoot with in terms of cameras and lenses?

Jacqueline Baylon: We didn't have the budget for anything high-end like a RED. We used a mix of Sony cameras: an A7SIII, FX3, FX6, and FX9. It was all within the Sony line, and we used vintage Nikon lenses. Sometimes we couldn't access those lenses, but mostly, we used the vintage Nikons. I also got lucky with a fantastic colorist who really brought everything together and made the visuals look cohesive.

Jonathan Moustakas: That's amazing. I'm a bit of a gear geek myself, and it looked stunning. You mentioned the editing process—given the different locations, it really blended beautifully. The documentary is relatively short, but it packs such a powerful emotional punch. Were there any fights in the editing room over what made it to the final cut?

Jacqueline Baylon: I always knew I wanted to make a short. Thank you for saying it's short—it’s actually quite long for a short film at 39 minutes. Some people even consider it a feature. The rough cut was maybe 50 minutes, but we knew we wanted to make a short. We shot a lot, including scenes with Martin that didn't make it in. Originally, I thought it would be a profile on Martin, so we spent a lot of time with him. Before Ahmed, I filmed several families in Morocco who had been searching for their children for years. There was so much material, but in the end, it became a more powerful story by focusing on Ahmed's journey from the beginning.

Jonathan Moustakas: I think it came out beautifully. Was your original intention to shed light on the Mediterranean refugee crisis as a whole, or did you want to focus on Ahmed's intimate story?

Jacqueline Baylon: I wanted both. I wanted to tell an intimate story, but I also wanted people to relate to Ahmed and not see this as a story happening somewhere far away. My co-producer, Haley Gavin, and I spent a lot of time on the storyboard, going over material and making sure we stayed true to that vision. We dropped some scenes, but nothing we deeply missed. We always knew we wanted it to be a short.

Jonathan Moustakas: Given that the film has already received significant recognition—congrats on Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and Hamptons International—what does the recognition mean to you? Do you hope it amplifies the message in the political arena, or are you just happy to do justice to the family?

Jacqueline Baylon: From the start, I just wanted to do justice to the family. Of course, the way to do that is to get the film seen by as many people as possible, and as I've learned, the way to do that is to get accolades. Even though that's not what I'm chasing, if those accolades help get the film to more people, then that's what we're doing. Thankfully, it will also be on POV starting November 26th, which is awesome.

Jonathan Moustakas: That's great. Congratulations again on the IDA nomination—I'll keep that off the record until it’s announced.

Jacqueline Baylon: Thank you. It should be announced later today.

Jonathan Moustakas: You definitely have some big names in your corner. I heard that a special screening and reception are being hosted for you. How did that collaboration come about?

Jacqueline Baylon: I was an intern at NBC years ago, and we became friends. I asked him to watch the film, and he offered to help however he could. I suggested hosting a screening, and he agreed. This is my first official documentary, and I didn't know how all the executive producer stuff worked. He believes in me and the film, and he wants to help get the word out.

Jonathan Moustakas: Well, you've hit it out of the park with this debut. Looking forward, do you see yourself continuing to explore migration and immigration, or are there other social justice topics you're interested in tackling?

Jacqueline Baylon: Absolutely. Civil rights and social justice have always been my interests, and there's a lot of overlap with immigration. I'm already hearing plans of what might be forthcoming in the United States, and it's not pretty. We have to stay vigilant and continue telling these stories.

Jonathan Moustakas: Absolutely. Are you planning to stick with documentaries, or do you see narrative-driven filmmaking in your future?

Jacqueline Baylon: I have a couple of documentary projects in the works that I can't talk about yet. Maybe someday I'll do narrative work, but for now, it's still documentaries—especially on immigration and civil rights topics.

Jonathan Moustakas: Awesome. Jacqueline, thank you so much for speaking with me today. The film was amazing, and congratulations again on the IDA nomination. I can't wait to see what you do next.

Jacqueline Baylon: Thank you so much, Jonathan. It means a lot.

Until He's Back is screening online through DOC NYC until December 1, 2024 and on POV starting November 26th, 2024

As part of the film’s release in New York, there will be an exclusive screening and reception hosted by The Root’s drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson on November 25th.

for our international readers Until he’s Back will be screening at The PriMed, International Festival of Mediterranean Documentary film on December 4 at 3.30pm: The Alcazar Library in Marseille.

For More information on Until he’s back: Click here