Well-Founded Fear

Last updated
Well-Founded Fear
Well-Founded Fear poster.jpg
"Sec(101): Persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion."
Directed by Shari Robertson
Michael Camerini
Produced by Shari Robertson
Michael Camerini
Cinematography Michael Camerini
Edited byKaren Schmeer
Suzanne Pancrazi
Christopher Osborn
Music byMark Suozzo
Production
companies
The Epidavros Project, Inc.
Distributed byThe Epidavros Project, Inc
Roco Films International
Release dates
 Wisconsin Film Festival
January 31, 2000 Sundance Film Festival
National Broadcast June 5, 2000 PBS
As CNN Presents: Asylum in America
May 27, 2001
Running time
119 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Well-Founded Fear is a 2000 documentary film from directors Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini. The film takes its title from the formal definition of a refugee under the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, as a person who deserves protection, "owing to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.” [1] The film analyzes the US asylum process by following several asylum applicants and asylum officers through actual INS interviews.

Contents

Synopsis

On average, only one in two hundred asylum applicants is ever admitted as a refugee to the U.S. A refugee is defined as someone afraid to return home for fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, social group or political opinion. Any foreign citizen who is able to find a path into the U.S. is eligible to apply for refugee protection in the form of political asylum. At the time of filming, the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) handled all requests for asylum.

Behind the doors of the asylum office lies a dramatic real-life stage where American ideals about human rights collide with the nearly impossible task of trying to know the truth. The film shows the closed corridors of the INS for an extraordinary close-up look at what has been called the Ellis Island of the 21st Century. It is an intimate world never before seen on screen—asylum officers, lawyers, translators, economic migrants, legitimate refugees looking for protection, all focused on the confidential interviews that are the heart of the asylum process.

Cases examined within the film involve individuals originating from China, El Salvador, Albania, Nigeria, Romania, Algeria, France and Russia. The film reveals the challenges of determining the validity of claims made in the asylum interview process.

The film closes with several onscreen statements about how the asylum application process has changed since filming. Congress passed legislation which reduces the number of people who are eligible to apply for asylum. The legislation also jails individuals arriving at U.S. borders requesting asylum. Additionally, the legislation limited an individual's right to appeal some of the decisions from asylum officers.

Release

Well-Founded Fear was featured as an Official Selection at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival where The Hollywood Reporter called it “one of the most talked-about and attended films at the festival.” [2] The film was broadcast on PBS, through P.O.V. on June 5, 2000. It was also broadcast on CNN and CNN satellite stations as CNN Presents: Asylum in America. It played at Docfest 2000, where it was lauded as The Grand Jury Prize Winner. [3]

The film has screened at festivals in San Francisco, New Zealand, Finland and many cities across the United States. It has been an Official Selection at:

The film has been specially screened at New York University, The School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, Austin Film Society's "Texas Documentary Tour," Office of Refugee Resettlement National Conference in D.C., Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in D.C. and The Refugee Studies Centre at University of Oxford.

Critical reception

The film has a wide mix of reviews from commentators, reformers, and educators. The film is currently used in universities and law schools across the United States. It is in regular use by the Asylum Training Corps in the Department of Homeland Security, as well as hundreds of law offices across the U.S.

The New York Times review wrote “the two-hour documentary by Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini takes an amazingly unflinching look at the process for seeking political asylum in the United States. The viewer who sticks with it ends up rewarded but deeply rattled, on several levels.” [7] The New York Daily News review of the P.O.V. broadcast called the film “a very strong show,” highlighting that “the close-ups, when people learn of their fates, are unforgettable, as are some of the very candid admissions by the INS interviewers. And by all means, stay tuned until the very end, because the updates at the end will both amaze and amuse you.” [8] Esquire cited the film as “a reason to (still) watch PBS... [and] a reminder of the power public television can still generate when it’s firing on all of its high-minded cylinders.” [9] At the 2000 Independent Spirit Awards, the film was nominated the Truer than Fiction award. [10]

Modules

Due to the film’s success in the classroom and other education situations, two discussion modules were produced to accompany the film.

  1. Lyudmila, a Jewish ex-soviet from Belarus, living in Minsk, who feels persecuted by her neighbors and strangers.
  2. Jamal, a Sudanese political dissident who was tortured and is intent on describing his entire story.
  3. Gjergi, an Albanian, kidnapped by the secret-police and beaten after writing an article in his high school newspaper.
  4. Alfonso, a Guatemalan who is modest about how he was affected by civil war.
  5. Mareja, a former Yugoslavian, unable to prosecute her abusive husband because his Communist Party family ruled the region.

Additional resources

The filmmakers developed an educational website, [11] commissioned by POV for their broadcast of the film in 2000. The website allows users to play an online game where they can "step into the job of asylum officer for a few minutes and try deciding a case themselves." Gerald, an INS asylum officer who appears in the film is featured in the online game.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elián González</span> Cuban boy in 2000 international custody dispute

Elián González Brotons is a Cuban industrial engineer and politician who, as a young child, became embroiled in an international custody and immigration controversy in 2000 involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, his father Juan Miguel González Quintana, his other relatives in Cuba and in Miami, and Miami's Cuban community.

<i>Stealing a Nation</i> 2004 British film

Stealing a Nation is a 2004 Granada Television documentary about the British–American clandestine operation that saw the expulsion of the Chagossian population who have lived on Diego Garcia and neighbouring islands since the late 18th century. More than 2,000 people were exiled to Mauritius between 1967 and 1973, so that Diego Garcia could become a United States military airbase (see depopulation of Chagossians from the Chagos Archipelago). The film contains a series of interviews with Chagossians, who have been deprived of their right of return and forced to live in abject poverty. Stealing a Nation was written and directed by Australian journalist John Pilger, and produced and directed by Christopher Martin; reconstruction footage was directed by Sean Crotty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asylum in the United States</span> Overview of the situation of the right for asylum in the United States of America

The United States recognizes the right of asylum for individuals seeking protections from persecution, as specified by international and federal law. People who seek protection while outside the U.S. are termed refugees, while people who seek protection from inside the U.S. are termed asylum seekers. Those who are granted asylum are termed asylees.

Incite Pictures is a documentary film production company located in New York City, founded by Rose Rosenblatt and Marion Lipschutz Incite Pictures is the for profit arm of Cine Qua Non, a non-profit organization. In addition to national U.S. broadcasts, their work has been broadcast on the CBC's Passionate Eye in Canada, The BBC in England, NHK, Indian TV, and many other strands around the world. Their films have won Best Cinematography at The Sundance Film Festival, The Audience Award at SXSW, The Audience and Jury Award at Cine Las Americas, Best Documentary at Red Nation Film Festival, Best Documentary at Native Cinema Showcase, The Emerging Picture Award at Full Frame, and The Jury Prize for Best Documentary at The Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Personal recognition includes The Full Frame Women in Leadership Award, The Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award, and a nomination for the British Index on Censorship's Freedom of Expression Award. Though their topics have been specific to the United States, they have durable international appeal, showing in hundreds of festivals, including The Human Rights Watch Film Festival, Hot Docs, The Stockholm International Film Festival, The Seoul International Film Festival and The Festival de Rio de Janeiro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Daniel Metzgar</span> American film director

Eric Daniel Metzgar is a filmmaker who lives and works in San Francisco.

Iara Lee is a Brazilian film producer, director and activist of Korean descent who works mainly in the Middle East and Africa. Her recent projects include From Trash to Treasure: Turning Negatives into Positives (2020) and Stalking Chernobyl: Exploration After Apocalypse (2020). Her other documentaries include Wantoks: Dance of Resilience in Melanesia (2019), Burkinabè Rising: The Art of Resistance in Burkina Faso (2018), Burkinabè Bounty: Agroecology in Burkina Faso (2018), Life Is Waiting: Referendum and Resistance in Western Sahara (2015), K2 and the Invisible Footmen (2015), The Kalasha and the Crescent (2013), The Suffering Grasses (2012), Cultures of Resistance (2010), Beneath the Borqa in Afghanistan (2002), Architettura (1999), Modulations: Cinema for the Ear (1998), Synthetic Pleasures (1995), and An Autumn Wind (1994). In 2010, Lee was involved in the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla," where nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed by Israeli naval forces and many were injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Allen Harris</span>

Thomas Allen Harris is a critically acclaimed, interdisciplinary artist who explores family, identity, and spirituality in a participatory practice. Since 1990, Harris has remixed archives from multiple origins throughout his work, challenging hierarchy within historical narratives through the use of pioneering documentary and research methodologies that center vernacular image and collaboration. He is currently working on a new television show, Family Pictures USA, which takes a radical look at neighborhoods and cities of the United States through the lens of family photographs, collaborative performances, and personal testimony sourced from their communities..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Center for Asian American Media</span>

The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) was founded in 1980. The San Francisco–based organization, formerly known as the National Asian American Telecommunications Association (NAATA), has grown into the largest organization dedicated to the advancement of Asian Americans in independent media, specifically the areas of television and filmmaking.

<i>How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories</i> American film

How Democracy Works Now is a 10-part, feature documentary film series that examines the American political system through the lens of immigration reform during 2001–2007. The films were directed and produced by award-winning filmmaking team Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini.

Michael Camerini is a British-born American film director, producer and cinematographer. His filmmaking credits include FRONTLINE: Immigration Battle, Niger:Tales of Resilience,How Democracy Works Now, Well-Founded Fear, These Girls Are Missing, Becoming the Buddha in L.A., Dadi's Family and Born Again: Life in a Fundamentalist Baptist Church. His films have been featured on HBO, CNN, PBS, Human Rights Watch International Film Festival in London and New York City and The Sundance Film Festival among others.

Shari Robertson is an American film director and producer. Her filmmaking credits include How Democracy Works Now, Well-Founded Fear, These Girls Are Missing, Inside the Khmer Rouge, Return to Year Zero and Washington/Peru: We Ain't Winnin'. Her films have been featured on HBO, CNN, PBS, BBC, Channel 4, Human Rights Watch International Film Festival in London and New York City and The Sundance Film Festival among others.

<i>These Girls Are Missing</i> 1995 American film

These Girls Are Missing is a 1995 documentary film from directors Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini about the gender gap in education in Africa. Its world premiere was at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women. The film grew out of an initiative by the FAWE, The Forum for African Women Educationalists, with additional support from the Rockefeller Foundation and UNICEF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sławomir Grünberg</span> Documentary producer

Sławomir Grünberg is a Polish-born naturalized American documentary producer, director and cameraman.

<i>Dreaming of Denmark</i> 2015 Danish film

Dreaming of Denmark is a documentary film by director Michael Graversen that investigates what happens to one of the many unaccompanied minor refugees who disappear in Europe. The film was released at the peak of the refugee crisis in Europe in 2015/16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Osit</span> American filmmaker (born 1987)

David Osit is an American documentary filmmaker, editor and composer. His documentaries include Mayor and Thank You for Playing.

Elián is a 2017 documentary film directed by Ross McDonnell and Tim Golden, produced by Irish documentary filmmaker Trevor Birney, and executive produced by Alex Gibney. The film details the story of young Cuban Elián González and features exclusive interviews with Elián and his family in Cuba and Miami, particularly Elián's father, Juan Miguel, and his cousin Marisleysis, who had cared for Elián while he was in Miami. The film was co-produced by Fine Point Films and Jigsaw Productions and features a voiceover by Raul Esparza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohammed Ali Naqvi</span> Pakistani filmmaker

Mohammed Ali Naqvi is a Pakistani filmmaker based in New York City. He is known for documentaries which shed light on the socio political conditions of Pakistan, and feature strong characters on personal journeys of self-discovery. Notable films include Insha’Allah Democracy (2017), Among the Believers (2015), Shame (2007), and Terror’s Children (2003).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Association Film Festival</span> International documentary film festival

The United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF) is an international documentary film festival. It was founded by Jasmina Bojic, a Stanford educator and film critic, in 1998 to honor the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The festival showcases documentaries related to human rights and social issues/solutions and holds discussion forums with experts on the topics.

<i>Midnight Traveler</i> 2019 film

Midnight Traveler is a 2019 documentary film directed by Hassan Fazili. Filmed on three smartphones by Fazili and his wife, Fatima Hussaini, and their two daughters, it chronicles their three-year journey from their home in Afghanistan to Europe in search for asylum.

<i>Leonas Sister Gerri</i> 1995 American documentary film

Leona’s Sister Gerri is a 1995 American documentary film, produced and directed by Jane Gillooly. It was nationally broadcast on the PBS series POV, on November 2, 1995.

References

  1. ↑ "Definitions and obligations". Unhcr.org.au. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  2. ↑ "The Epidavros Project | Our Work | Projects". Epidavros.org. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
  3. ↑ "docfest Previous Festivals: 2000". Docfest.org. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
  4. ↑ "Well-Founded Fear | San Francisco Film Festival". History.sffs.org. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  5. ↑ "UNAFF 2000". Unaff.org. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  6. ↑ [ dead link ]
  7. ↑ Genzlinger, Neil (2000-06-05). "TELEVISION REVIEW - TELEVISION REVIEW - Where Dreams of Asylum Can Come True or Die - Review - NYTimes.com". The New York Times . Retrieved 2011-03-10.
  8. ↑ "In Or Out? Asylum Seekers Make For A Powerful 'P.O.V.'". Nydailynews.com. 2000-06-05. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
  9. ↑ Goulet, Matt (2000-06-01). "Viewers Like Who?". Esquire. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
  10. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-03-04. Retrieved 2011-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ↑ "POV - Well-Founded Fear . Waiting Room | PBS". Archive.pov.org. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.