Filmmaker Statement

On August 18, 1971, First Lady Pat Nixon declared a stretch of land along the US-Mexico border a “Friendship Park,” willing two countries toward a common future. Decades later, this spirited inauguration hangs above the meeting place like a specter, charged by the border’s harsh realities. Vibrant digitized color film from the Richard Nixon Presidential Library along with stirring musical and oral performances from the inaugural event clash against the present, as TOO LONG HERE ponders the implications of an empty promise. This is filmmaker Emily Packer's second film about Friendship Park, made in conjunction with the Friends of Friendship Park who continue to steward the space and advocate for greater access. Since the 2020 pandemic, the border patrol has closed off the US side with no plan to reopen.