CITY OF NEWBURGH – A commonality emerges as actor and director Robert Fontaine Jr. talks about the Latino day laborers and white contractors he met researching and writing “Mi America,” his made-in-City of Newburgh movie that is set to debut on HBO.

They were immigrant men fleeing disenfranchisement in their own countries and confronting discrimination and exploitation while working to support the families they left behind.

They were angry and bitter blue-collar whites who believe they have been disenfranchised from job opportunities because of the very same system that exploits immigrant workers by paying them low wages or nothing at all.

Those forces clash in “Mi America,” an exploration of anti-immigrant hatred and the disillusionment of blue-collar whites that beings with the discovery of the bodies of five immigrant day laborers beaten and shot to death after being lured to a warehouse.

Fontaine, who bought and renovated a home in Newburgh, began writing the script years ago, spurred by stories his journalist wife told of anti-Latino hate crimes occurring around the country.

The film’s timeliness has only grown with the emergence of immigrant-bashing President Donald Trump, whose candidacy and election have alarmed undocumented immigrants and advocates and emboldened white nationalists and those with anti-immigrant views.

Its reach is set to grow as well. Beginning on Friday, HBO will start showing “Mi America” for broadcast and streaming, bringing the $2 million project and its subject to a national audience after the network bought the rights for 18 months.

“It’s a very big deal,” Fontaine said.

Fontaine, who has a resume filled with television and film roles, began shooting "Mi America" in July 2013, using local residents as extras and shooting scenes at recognizable locations like the Newburgh Armory.

He stars as the Mexican-American detective investigating the murders. During the investigation, the detective confronts his estrangement from his Latino heritage. Another character is an angry contractor who blames his business’ struggles on immigrants.

During conversations with real-life undocumented immigrants, Fontaine found a common theme: well-educated people seeking opportunities in the United States because they were cut off from opportunities in their own country.

One laborer told of being part of a crew of immigrants driven to Pennsylvania, where they spent a month renovating a house and then were never paid. Others spoke of being separated from their families.

“One guy had been here already for 20 years and he had a son that was 21 who he hadn’t seen since he had left Honduras,” Fontaine said. “That’s heartbreaking.”

lsparks@th-record.com