PHOTO CREDIT: AP/Mark Lennihan
New U.S. citizens recite the Oath of Allegiance while participating in a naturalization ceremony, New York, July 2014
The New York Times reported that between October 2017 and April 2018, 700 families were split up by the Trump administration. According to Vox, in the 6 weeks between mid-April and the end of May, since the zero tolerance policy went into effect, almost 2,000 children have been taken from their families.
TCFF embraces messages of love, compassion, and empathy. Please enjoy the following short films that act as a bridge between cinema and the current immigration crisis.
“Cinema is universal, beyond flags and borders and passports.” – Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu
We are the Immigrants (2017)
Directed by Catalina Matamoros
“An intimate portrait of an arduous journey across hostile borders, presented in a fluid, hand-drawn animation.”
Through The Wall (2016)
Directed by Tim Nackashi
“A short documentary about a family divided by the US/Mexico border. Abril lives in the US with her 2 year-old son Julián. They are undocumented. Julián’s father was deported back to Mexico for a minor traffic violation. In order to see each other, every Sunday Uriel, Abril and Julián travel to the border to spend time together through the wall.”
Scent of Geranium (2017)
Directed by Naghmeh Farzaneh
“In Scent of Geranium, watch an immigration story come to life in a beautiful watercolor animation about coping with homesickness.”
George and Grace’s Story (2017)
Directed by Judd Ehrlich and produced by the National Immigration Justice Center
“A short documentary film. George was tortured in a Ugandan military prison for his activism against a brutal and oppressive regime. He escaped and fled to the U.S. where he met his wife, Grace, who was also a Ugandan refugee. They started a family in Arlington Heights, Illinois and befriended many in the community. But like many asylum seekers, George was detained again and his family feared he would be deported back to danger.”
