Docudrama narrative film anchored in the real lives of thousands of immigrant families ripped apart by deportation and redeemed by love.
The ADDIS International Film Festival (AIFF), one of the largest independent cinema festivals in Africa, screens a new feature film, America’s Family, produced by Angelica Salas and Zerihoun Yilma of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). The America’s Family screening will have its international premiere at the Addis International Film Festival (AIFF) in advance of its limited theatrical and streaming release this fall.
America’s Family tells the story of the multiple hardships that five members of a mixed status family face after an immigration raid on their home over the Thanksgiving holiday and into the New Year. While each family member fights to return to each other, they discover that their commitment to reunification and faith in one another is much stronger than they think. The screening of this unique docudrama will be followed by an inspiring conversation with questions from the audience that explore the realities and driving forces of migration through an interdisciplinary lens and with a focus on human rights.
Festival Director Kebour Ghenna shared his excitement during the opening of the film festival with America’s Family saying “We are delighted to welcome America’s Family as the opening film for this year’s festival and excited for it to be a part of a celebration of 30 films from Africa and all over the world. We especially look forward to the meaningful conversations and connections that will follow.”
“Art has always been fundamental to the human rights movement,” said Anike Tourse, who wrote, directed, and stars in America’s Family. “Art has the potential to synthesize the emotions of the people of the movement globally. This is why I developed this project in partnership with CHIRLA. I wanted to make a film that tells a family immigration story, underscores our need to fight for and protect our human rights and that helps audiences connect emotionally across race, nationality, and borders. To present the film on such an impactful Human Rights platform as the Addis International Film Festival is a dream come true.”
America’s Family Associate producer Zerihoun Yilma, who is also the managing director of CHIRLA and the Board Chair of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) added, “I am thrilled that America’s Family will have its international premiere in the cosmopolitan city of Addis Ababa. As the film examines the integration of the African Diaspora in Mexico and the United States, and as it explores the longstanding cultural and political impact on the Human Rights Movement worldwide, I believe the screening will be particularly meaningful for Ethiopians and the world community AIFF audience.”