New Film: Out of Status

Anil Kalhan (Fordham) let us know about new immigration-related film, ” Out of Status,” which is premiering next week.  Here is the nutshell:

In post 9/11 America, the curtailment of civil liberties in the name of national security has had a direct and enduring impact on individuals of Muslim background. This community, collateral damage in the war on terror, is further alienated by selective enforcement of new and existing immigration policy. Families are separated and communities were uprooted. We followed four families whose lives were dramatically changed after 9/11. Carma, an American citizen, saw her husband Akram arrested from their home and deported to Egypt. Akram lived in Pennsylvania, worked legally to support his family and waited to adjust his status. Two days after 9/11, Salem, an American citizen, was detained for 40 days and held in solitary confinement for allegedly stealing a rental car. Hakim, an Algerian, has permanent residency papers pending with the INS. After 9/11 he was placed in deportation proceedings, despite being married to a US legal resident. Hakim has a one-year old son who was born in Brooklyn. The Rahmans, also from Brooklyn, fled to a refugee shelter in Buffalo, New York to seek asylum in Canada. They face persecution in their native Bangladesh, but were afraid of enforcement measures in the US. Along with 15,000 others from Brooklyn, they left their homes and lives rather than face the prospect of being deported by authorities.

Sanjna N. Singh and Pia Sawhney are the filmmakers of “Out of Status”. They created a short version of the film that premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival 2004, at the Amnesty International Film Festival, and at the Edinburgh Film Festival.  Here are some Reviews of the short:

“Very Moving and Compelling” – Sara Bernstein, HBO Original Programming, Documentaries

“We applaud you…[i]t remains a testament to the difference that visionary individuals and artists can make in the advancement of justice and human dignity.” – William F. Schultz, Executive Director, Amnesty International USA

“Two of the most important young filmmakers in the country today” – Peter Sellars, Film Theatre and Opera Director

For details, click here.

KJ