On Feb. 17, the Mary B. Martin School of the Arts will be screening “The Infiltrators” in the first of two events of the spring film screening for the Southern Circuit of Independent Filmmakers.
“Southern Circuit is an incredible opportunity for a school like ETSU for a few reasons,” said Chelsea Wessels, co-director of the film studies minor.
She watched the films and helped determine which ones should come to ETSU.
“Johnson City doesn’t have an art cinema, which means that while there is this burgeoning film culture in the area, you would have to go to Asheville or beyond to have a chance to see a lot of independent films,” Wessels said. “The films that are part of the tour are often not even playing in a lot of theaters. They are still circulating film festivals, which means they can be even more difficult to see for the average film goer.”
There will be a Q&A reception afterward with Darren Dean, the producer of the film and four-time Film Independent Spirit Award nominee.
“Seeing a film in this kind of situation, where someone involved in the project is in the room to have a discussion with the audience, prioritizes conversation,” Wessels said. “‘The Infiltrators” is a film about topics we’re seeing in the news and debating around the country, which makes it a timely film to have at ETSU and perhaps spark discussion here because interestingly, the events depicted happened in 2012. So it gives a bit more context to the way we’re thinking about these issues in 2020.”
“The Infiltrators” focuses on the story of two activists breaking out from a immigrant detention facility in Florida in an effort to stop deportations. The film is stylized in a docu-drama and brings attention to young immigrants impacted by Obama’s policy, the Deferred Action on Childhood Programs.
“From a film perspective, what drew me to ‘The Infiltrators’ is the way it captures the issues of immigration detention centers, Dreamers and deportation,” Wessels said. “Formally, through blending documentary and scripted storytelling and by blurring these boundaries of different modes of film-making, the film challenges a lot of assumptions the audience may have about its subjects.”
The film will be screened in the Ball Hall Auditorium at 7 p.m.
