American Civil Liberties Union

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Director Tom McCarthy talks with Judy Rabinovitz, Senior Staff Counsel with the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, about the making of the film.

After the attacks, authorities arrested and detained over 1200 people in connection with terrorism. But their identities, whereabouts and the actual charges brought against them were withheld from their families, the media and the public. For a nation built by immigrants on the guiding principle of justice for all, the question of due process, detention and deportation for refugees and immigrants has become a hotly-debated topic.

The ACLU has allied with Participant Media for a social action campaign focused on the film's underlying themes of illegal detention, treatment of immigrants and the legal challenges immigrants face. The ACLU is helping to spread the message of the campaign and educate audiences about immigrants' rights by distributing material, speaking at special screening events, and facilitating discussion on these issues around the country. More information on the social action campaign, including a downloadable discussion guide is available at www.takepart.com/thevisitor. The film opened in New York and Los Angeles on April 11th and is now playing nationwide.

ABOUT THE FILM
> ACLU at Sundance: When Immigration Policies Tears Families Apart (1/24/2008)
> Review of "The Visitor" (New York Times, 4/11/2008)
> Profile of Richard Jenkins (New York Times, 4/6/2008)