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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.
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The filmmakers developed an educational website, 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
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is geared especially toward the needs of advocates, legal professionals and their clients. It offers concrete examples for discussion and analysis, along with notes and commentary by experts and Asylum Office insiders. This module illustrates the interactions between attorneys and asylum officers.
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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
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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
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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.” The
315:
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
512:
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
295:. 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
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provides an in-depth look at five memorable people from countries around the globe, all seeking asylum in the United States. Each case study, of an actual asylum interview, provides window into a very different life
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cited the film as “a reason to (still) watch PBS... a reminder of the power public television can still generate when it’s firing on all of its high-minded cylinders.” At the 2000
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The film has screened at festivals in San
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of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.” The film analyzes the US
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Due to the film’s success in the classroom and other education situations, two discussion modules were produced to accompany the film.
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also includes an extended feature about the dangers of translation, showing actual examples of mistakes made during asylum interviews.
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Additionally, the legislation limited an individual's right to appeal some of the decisions from asylum officers.
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called it “one of the most talked-about and attended films at the festival.” The film was broadcast on
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process by following several asylum applicants and asylum officers through actual INS interviews.
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It played at
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Cases examined within the film involve individuals originating from
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The School of
International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
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and beaten after writing an article in his high school newspaper.
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259:. The film takes its title from the formal definition of a
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Documentary films about immigration to the United States
849:"In Or Out? Asylum Seekers Make For A Powerful 'P.O.V.'"
714:"The Epidavros Project | Our Work | Projects"
544:, the film was nominated the Truer than Fiction award.
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762:"Well-Founded Fear | San Francisco Film Festival"
605:, unable to prosecute her abusive husband because his
517:, as well as hundreds of law offices across the U.S.
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appears in the film is featured in the online game.
50:, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a
941:"POV - Well-Founded Fear . Waiting Room | PBS"
469:Documentary Guild's Uptown-Downtown Film Festival,
267:, as a person who deserves protection, "owing to a
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370:was featured as an Official Selection at the
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305:Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)
594:who is modest about how he was affected by
464:The New Zealand International Film Festival
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494:Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
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404:San Francisco International Film Festival
70:Learn how and when to remove this message
476:The film has been specially screened at
452:United Nations Association Film Festival
297:eligible to apply for refugee protection
1098:How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories
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643:How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories
925:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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447:Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema;
409:DoubleTake Documentary Film Festival,
31:contains content that is written like
458:CineVegas International Film Festival
417:Cleveland International Film Festival
303:. At the time of filming, the former
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1021:New York Times feature, June, 4 2000
534:end will both amaze and amuse you.”
285:one in two hundred asylum applicants
438:Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival
1151:English-language documentary films
738:"docfest Previous Festivals: 2000"
565:Lyudmila, a Jewish ex-soviet from
208:As CNN Presents: Asylum in America
14:
307:handled all requests for asylum.
1131:Documentary films about refugees
384:CNN Presents: Asylum in America.
203:National Broadcast June 5, 2000
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1007:CNN Presents: Asylum in America
1005:CNN broadcast archive page, as
821:Genzlinger, Neil (2000-06-05).
515:Department of Homeland Security
1000:at Sundance Institute Archives
490:Office of Refugee Resettlement
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1016:at Human Rights Video Project
689:"Definitions and obligations"
492:National Conference in D.C.,
1141:2000s English-language films
430:Old Dominion Film Festival,
873:Goulet, Matt (2000-06-01).
372:2000 Sundance Film Festival
173:The Epidavros Project, Inc.
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498:The Refugee Studies Centre
488:"Texas Documentary Tour,"
182:The Epidavros Project, Inc
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542:Independent Spirit Awards
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609:family ruled the region.
184:Roco Films International
1074:These Girls Are Missing
421:Wisconsin Film Festival
195:Wisconsin Film Festival
376:The Hollywood Reporter
287:is ever admitted as a
200:Sundance Film Festival
620:Practicing Asylum Law
615:Practicing Asylum Law
486:Austin Film Society's
52:neutral point of view
1146:2000s American films
627:Additional resources
557:Tales From Real Life
502:University of Oxford
875:"Viewers Like Who?"
583:, kidnapped by the
530:New York Daily News
478:New York University
44:promotional content
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508:Critical reception
152:Christopher Osborn
82:2000 American film
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787:"UNAFF 2000"
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693:Unhcr.org.au
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313:Ellis Island
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216:Running time
210:May 27, 2001
99:
66:
57:
42:by removing
38:Please help
30:
950:28 November
796:28 November
771:28 November
742:Docfest.org
659:Immigration
603:Yugoslavian
590:Alfonso, a
579:Gjergi, an
560:experience:
432:Norfolk, VA
329:El Salvador
220:119 minutes
160:Mark Suozzo
121:Produced by
107:Directed by
1121:2000 films
1115:Categories
912:2011-03-23
881:2011-03-10
859:2011-03-10
834:2011-03-10
747:2011-03-10
723:2011-03-10
675:References
592:Guatemalan
411:Durham, NC
263:under the
247:is a 2000
166:Production
40:improve it
1082:Tashilham
877:. Esquire
791:Unaff.org
596:civil war
572:Jamal, a
168:companies
145:Edited by
60:June 2011
921:cite web
636:See also
581:Albanian
574:Sudanese
279:Synopsis
233:Language
157:Music by
698:19 June
654:Refugee
567:Belarus
548:Modules
537:Esquire
450:UNAFF (
425:Madison
363:Release
345:Algeria
341:Romania
337:Nigeria
333:Albania
291:to the
289:refugee
261:refugee
236:English
225:Country
1101:(2010)
1093:(2000)
1085:(1998)
1077:(1995)
992:at POV
398:London
374:where
353:Russia
349:France
273:asylum
906:(PDF)
899:(PDF)
325:China
1060:and
984:IMDb
952:2021
927:link
798:2021
773:2021
700:2010
520:The
351:and
255:and
982:at
500:at
380:PBS
293:U.S
205:PBS
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