Ellie Lobovits is a filmmaker, anthropologist, and cultural observer. Her research, writing, and filmmaking focus on borderlands, the body, and feminist narratives. She holds an M.A. in visual anthropology from San Francisco State University, and her writing has appeared in The Establishment and American Anthropologist. Lobovits’ recently released documentary film Birth on the Border explores women’s stories of border crossing, border harassment, and childbirth in El Paso–Ciudad Juárez. Follow her on Facebook @birthontheborderfilm.
With more than 2 million people, the sister cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez make up the second largest binational urban center on the U.S.-Mexico border. Here, the border is far more than a line on a map.