DOC - Notes on Courtwatch
Documentary Short
Title: Notes on Courtwatch
TRT: 00:10:25
Project Status: Completed
Logline
“Courtwatchers" attend immigration court to support migrants facing ICE arrests after their hearings.
Synopsis
Synopsis (approx 300 words)
In early summer of 2025, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials began detaining migrants at their asylum hearings, an ad-hoc network of New Yorkers began showing up to the Kafkaesque court houses. They came to bear witness, share information and solidarity with immigrants, and accompany them into their hearings. Through testimonies and ruminations of courtwatchers, the film asks: What does it mean to “bear witness”? Can witnessing alone be a form of resistance? What are the psychological impacts of one's inability to help, and the isolation one feels when they witness something most others do not? How do people support their neighbors in an increasingly repressive political landscape? The film also explores the ethics of documentary filmmaking. To protect immigrants facing deportation and courtwatchers themselves, the viewers see only the court buildings’ impenetrable exteriors, street scenes and window reflections. But like in these reflections, it's hard to separate what's inside from outside. This is the cognitive dissonance so many courtwatchers and immigrants experience every day.
Team
Kate Levy (Dir, Prod, Cinematographer, Editor), Anna Barsan (Consulting Producer)
Seeking
Distribution (including online)
Rights Available
All rights available
Contact
Kate Levy
636-925-9510