Big Apple Film Festival - La Oposición
Nick Morano has a comfortable desk job at the Department of Homeland Security monitoring immigration targets. When the Trump administration suddenly changes the game by declaring a war on immigration, Nick now must choose to work for this new system or against it.
Interview with Writer/Director Zoey Martinson
Watch La Oposición on Vimeo
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Two years ago I found myself traveling throughout the United States conducting interviews for a play I was writing on immigration. From the Humanitarian Aid camp on the US/ Mexico boarder, to court proceedings, and detention centers. I acquired stories from judges, lawyers, advocates, undocumented, and migrants crossing in the desert.
So when executive producer Brian Hastert asked me to write and direct a short film for his senior Pace University students after the election, I was excited to meet these young actors whose concerns and impressive talent inspired the short film 'La Oposición'. They expressed their fear about the future of this country, their student visas, their friends and family.
Growing up in a predominantly immigrant community in the USA this film is my response to the recent election and how this country is redefining an identity around a hostile narrative towards immigration. This film is a brown woman’s response to her country of birth. My love for my country and my continual battle within its system to be seen as equal. This country’s relationship to oppression. We go from outwardly oppressing people of color to outwardly targeting immigrants. When do we step back and address this country’s continual need to oppress? Our refusal to look at the system we have in place that benefits off of that oppression, that uses it for economic growth, as fuel. What kind of country would we be without passive participation in the system that uses incarceration and fear to incentivize the American Dream?
La Oposición delves into the whispers of humanity at the core of the criminalization of the word immigration. I believe an audience can hopefully find a piece of empathy as we follow an officer at the Department of Homeland Security as he starts to question how he fits into the system that he is directly benefiting from. I continually question my own passive participation in that system as I continue to carve out a path for myself.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The film is about a heavy subject matter but you will laugh a bit. You will also learn about a deportation process.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
My work tends to deal with issues around oppression and how that manifests in our choices as human beings bumping into other human beings.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I didn’t have very much time to develop the script through final cut of the film. I listened a great deal to all the creative teams input to help the piece come together and make sense.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has positive which is nice.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Not yet… gulp gulp.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
More people will get to enjoy it.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Journalists, Film Festivals, distributors. I would love for more people to get to hear some of the information about immigration that the film provides.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love for audiences to question why and how this country handles immigration.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Why is our government criminalizing the word immigration. We fought a war on drugs, a war on terror and these turned out to revel a much more sinister purpose.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m working on a VR project about radicalization, a feature film and a new play. I also have a theatrical installation going up in NYC’s HERE Arts Center called The Black History Museum… According to the United States of America.
Interview: October 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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La Oposición
Nick Morano has a comfortable desk job at the Department of Homeland Security monitoring immigration targets. When the Trump administration suddenly changes the game by declaring a war on immigration, Nick now must choose to work for this new system or against it.
Length: 20 min
Director: Zoey Martinson
Producer: Brian Hastert
Writer: Zoey Martinson
Key cast: Sebastián Iturria, Nicholas Delgado, Jerry Yang, Stephanie Uttro, Maeve Mayfield, Samantha Widmer, Court Wing
Looking for: distributors, film festival directors, journalists
Social media handles: #LaOposicion
Other: www.LaOposicionFilm.org
Funders: FTVC Productions, Smoke & Mirrors Collaborative
Where can I watch it in the next month?
Big Apple Film Festival, SVA Theater NYC, November 1st, 2017 at 6:30pm