Arizona, Immigration and Action: A Film Showcase
Starts: Friday, Jul. 17 12:00 PM (Eastern)
Ends: Friday, Jul. 17 1:15 PM (Eastern)
Arizona, Immigration and Action:. Over the past 5 years hundreds of thousands of immigrant families have left Arizona pushed by anti-immigrant laws and the politics of fear. Countless others stayed. Three independent films in Arizona, The Vigil, Two Americans and Under Arpaio underscore the remarkable resiliency of the immigrant and activist community in a state known for its vitriolic anti-immigrant discourse.
Come and learn about the role filmmaking can play in amplifying the voice of the community on the ground and the lessons those powerful often overlooked voices can share.
The Vigil is the story of Gina and Rosa, undocumented immigrant mothers who, armed with their faith and traditions, set out to stop America’s most controversial immigration law.
Two Americans. Enter the heart of an American family living in the shadows of a state that has criminalized their existence. Walk the beat of the nation’s most recognized lawman as he stares down charges of his own. The parents of 9-year-old Katherine Figueroa are arrested when America’s Toughest Sheriff raids a Phoenix carwash suspected of hiring illegal workers. As young Kathy fights to save her parents from deportation, a community group succeeds in pressuring the County Board to investigate Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s spending priorities. When the sheriff retaliates against his political foes, his actions spark outrage, and a federal investigation.
Under Arpaio. This is the harrowing story of a community fighting the struggle against America’s notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio. These are people seldom seen in the media and who have been working for justice to end Arpaio’s human rights abuses. As the Sheriff continues to distract media attention through his jail tents, chain gangs, and crusade against undocumented workers, this documentary highlights the community that have been targeted by Arpaio and his deputies in Phoenix. Stories of abuses through racially profiling, beatings and killings in jail, and arrests for opposition against the Sheriff are retold by this community under threat. Under Arpaio tells the account of the people taking a stand and organizing for dignity and justice in Arizona by standing up against the self proclaimed “toughest Sheriff.”
Panelists
Jenny Alexander
Jenny Alexander is a producer at Northern Light Productions and independent filmmaker. Her independent projects focus on the impact of immigration policy on families. Jenny’s first film, “Detained” follows families in the aftermath of the largest workplace immigration raid in Massachusetts, and has screened in festivals in Tel Aviv, Poland, Germany and China as well as within the US. Her current film, “The Vigil” follows undocumented mothers in Arizona who lead a vigil to stop Arizona’s “Papers Please” law from going into effect. Prior to filmmaking, Jenny was a union organizer in Puerto Rico and with the United Farm Workers.
Jason Michael Aragon
Jason Michael Aragón is the Executive Director for the non-profit media collective Pan Left Productions in Tucson, Arizona and he directed an co-produced the documentary “Under Apaio”. It’s the story of a community fighting the struggle against America’s notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio. These are people seldom seen in the media and who have been working for justice to end Arpaio’s human rights abuses. As the Sheriff continues to distract media attention through his jail tents, chain gangs, and crusade against undocumented workers, this documentary highlights the community that have been targeted by Arpaio and his deputies through racial profiling and abuse of power. “Under Arpaio” won Best of Arizona at Arizona International Film Festival in 2012 and can be seen on YouTube here
Valeria Fernandez
Valeria is an independent journalist and filmmaker focused on immigration and human rights in Phoenix and the Arizona borderlands. She produced and co-directed the film Two Americans. The documentary parallels the stories of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Kathy Figueroa a 9-year-old U.S. citizen whose Mexican parents were arrested by sheriff’s deputies during a workplace immigration raid. The film won the Audience Award for Best Feature Documentary at the Arizona International Film Festival. It aired on Al Jazeera America in 2013 and was an official selection of the DOCSDF Mexican Film Festival.
In 2014, Fernández co-directed six short documentaries along the U.S.-Mexico borderlands as part of the international web-documentary Connected Walls. The project won the Jury Award at the Beligium Millenium Film Festival.