Coming to The WORLD Channel’s Doc World this Sunday, June 28:
UNSETTLED: SEEKING REFUGE IN AMERICA
Director:
Tom Shepard
World Premiere:
San Francisco 2019
Select Festivals:
GlobeDocs, Bent, UN Association, St Louis, Rocky Mountain Women’s, Cleveland, Mountainfilm, Outfest, Frameline, NewFest, LGBT fests in Tel Aviv, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Palm Springs, Stockholm, Atlanta, Memphis, Seattle, Madrid, London, and Sydney
About:
A profile of LGBT refugees seeking asylum in the US.
In their native countries of Angola, Syria, and Congo, Cheyenne, Mari, Subhi, and Junior faced death threats and violence, simply for being lesbian or gay. Seeking asylum in the US, they have each ended up in the San Francisco Bay Area, long a safe haven for the LGBT community, but their struggles continue, particularly as a new, anti-immigration presidential administration takes over. Cheyenne and Mari, possessing only temporary visas, are unable to work legally, and the odds are against their asylum petition; Junior, though possessing refugee status, faces unstable housing, unrealistic relationships, and an alcohol problem; while Subhi’s fortunes are surprisingly positive, for the most part. While each of their stories could have been explored more deeply, filmmaker Tom Shepard builds empathy for his subjects and succeeds in drawing attention to the plight of sexual minorities in nations with restrictive laws.
