Why this project
We began thinking more deeply about immigration when our Quaker Meeting embarked on hosting sanctuary guests in 2016 and 2017. This spring, we created a website and videos for the People’s Resolution project of four Colorado women in sanctuary. Through our interviews with them and the spiritual leaders who are supporting them, we found the topic and potential solutions to be much more complex and nuanced than it might appear from a quick glance at the nightly news or Twitter.
We believe there are a spectrum of solutions to immigration issues, and we think exploring that spectrum could be beneficial to everyone.
Who we'll talk to
To obtain our spectrum of solutions, we’ll interview approximately 10 - 15 people who have different perspectives on the American immigration system. We’re lining up interviews with: Immigrants who have experienced first-hand the current immigration system, a lawyer who attempts to help would-be documented immigrants navigate the system, a politician with the power to influence the future of the system, a historian with perspective on previous approaches and attitudes, an economist and an environmental expert who study the impact of immigration, and others.
Our main question for them: “What would a successful immigration system for the United States look like?” We’ll follow up with questions along moral, economic and social axes, and what staying true to America’s values means. We’ll also ask each of them to suggest a question to ask the other interviewees, as a form of dialogue.
We’ll be looking for overlap between the solutions proposed; in other words, a phrase too-little heard these days: common ground.
It’s an experiment, a leap of faith that productive discourse among people with different ideas is still possible. Our hope and intention is encourage critical analysis, burst “bubbles” by exposing viewers to positions different than theirs, and encourage people to examine the strength of their own positions.
What will we do with the funds raised?
We are self-funding pre-production and production phases of the documentary, taking us across the United States.
When we get back home with our collection of solutions, we'll use the funds raised from this campaign to give us the necessary dedicated time to bring the project to the public in a timely fashion. This includes sorting through the footage, cutting it together, color correction, a sound mix and soundtrack. We’ll also be integrating our own research, with information graphics and other visuals.
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