Posts tagged cinema eye honors
Cinema Eye and Doc Filmmakers Protest U.S. Harassment of Laura Poitras
This is an update to the previous post on Homeland Security’s repeated detainment and harassment of Oscar-nominated documentarian Laura Poitras. Our friends at the Cinema Eye Honors have issued a statement of protest against the government’s constant disregard for the First and Fourth Amendments in such procedures, not just for Poitras but for any journalist or filmmaker. From this public letter:
Nonfiction filmmakers perform a vital role in a democratic society, serving as observers and investigators of the world around us. It is unacceptable for any American nonfiction filmmaker or journalist to be treated in this manner. They must be able to return to their own country without fear of arrest or fear that their work product will be seized, solely because they are investigating or chronicling subject matter that may be sensitive or controversial.
The statement has been signed by the CEH executive board, the CEH filmmaker advisory board (of which Poitras is the chair) and 25 additional documentarians, including Albert Maysles, Alex Gibney and Davis Guggenheim. Check out the whole letter after the jump.
Laura Poitras is a friend of the Center. In the past she has screened films with us and been kind enough to take time out of her schedule to teach master classes to American University film students. Her work is invaluable and documentarians/documentary enthusiasts should stay informed about this story. If one filmmaker’s rights are in jeopardy, our’s all are.
