USA vs Al-Arian
Synopsis
A strong, thought-provoking, critically acclaimed and award-winning documentary on freedom of speech and political persecution.
“A passionate activist and pro-Palestinian, professor Sami Al-Arian was charged with terrorism and held in prison without trial for two and a half years.
USA vs Al-Arian is an intimate family portrait that documents the strain brought on by Al-Arian’s trial, a battled waged both in court and in media. A tight-knit family unravels before our very eyes as trial preparations, strategy and spin consume their lives. This is a nightmare come to life, as a man is prosecuted for his beliefs rather than his actions.
Director Line Halvorsen presents democracy in a new light in a post-9/11 culture of fear, “security measures” trump free speech and punishment is meted out in the name of protection.
-HotDocs
Credits
Director:
Line Halvorsen
Producer:
Jan Dalchow, Dalchows Verden
Editor:
Line Halvorsen and Trond Winterkjær
Original Music:
Stein Berge Svendsen
Written by:
Line Halvorsen
DOP:
Tone Andersen
Cast
Sami Al-Arian
George W. Bush
Leenaand Al-Arian
Lama Al-Arian
Ali Al-Arian
Laila Al-Arian
Abduallah Al-Arian
Nahla Al-Arian
Production details
Original title
USA mot Al-Arian
Year
2007, 2009
Length
Feature Film: 98 min, TV-version: 58 min
Language
English with some Arabic
Subtitles
English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Arabic
Format
HDcam, Betacam, 35mm, DVD
Production company
Dalchows Verden
Production country
Norway
Sales/Distribution
Norwegian distribution: Kudos Family. Festival distribution: The Norwegian Film Institute.
Website
http://www.usavsalarian.com/
Awards & Festivals
Awards:
2007 Nordisk Panorama – 5 Cities Film Festival: Best Nordic Documentary
2007 Intl Festival of Muslim Cinema “Golden Minbar”, Russia: Honorary Mention
2007 Norwegian Documentary Film Festival Volda: Grand Prix (Flugeprisen)
2007 New Orleans Human Rights Film Festival, USA: Best Film
2007 Tromsø International Film Festival: Audience Award
Festivals:
2008 Melbourne Human Rights Art&Film Festival, Australia
2008 Toronto Palestine Film Festival, Canada
2008 Nordox, Beijing
2008 Reykjavik Short & Docs, Iceland
2008 Human Rights Watch Int. Film Festival, New York, USA
2008 Tekfestival, Rome, Italy
2008 Chicago Palestine Film Festival, USA
2008 Al Jazeera Int’l Documentary Film Festival, Qatar
2008 Belfast Film Festival, Ireland
2008 Amnesty Int’l Film Festival, The Netherlands
2008 Tempo Documentary Festival, Sweden
2008 Middle East Film Festival, Olympia, USA
2008 DocsBarcelona, Spain
2007 Dubai Int. Film Festival, United Arab Emirates
2007 Festival del Popoli, Firenze, Italia
2007 CPH.DOX, København, Denmark
2007 Festival of Liberties, Brüssel, Belgium
2007 Arab Film Festival – Los Angeles
2007 Femmina Int. Filmfestival, Verdal
2007 United Nations Association Film Festival, Stanford, USA
2007 Århus Film Festival, Denmark
2007 Arab Film Festival – San Francisco
2007 Document 5- International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Scotland
2007 Cinema Vèritè, Iran Int’l Documentary Festival, Theran
2007 Cinemambiente, Torino, Italy
2007 DOCNZ. New Zealand
2007 Boston Palestine Film Festival, USA
2007 Vivisect Human Rights festval, Novi Sad, Serbia
2007 Nordisk Panorama, Oulu, Finland
2007 Human Rights Film Festival Novi Sad, Serbia
2007 Intl Festival of Muslim Cinema “Golden Minbar”, Russia
2007 LabourFest, San Francisco
2007 Norwegian Short Film Festival Grimstad
2007 HotDocs, Toronto, Canada
2007 Norwegian Documentary Film Festival Volda
2007 New Orleans Human Rights Film Festival, USA
2007 Tromsø International Film Festival, Norway
Presskit
Images
SamiAl-Arian with Guards
Director Line Halvorsen and Sami Al-Arian in Orient Road Jail
Credit: Matt Mayes, Dalchows Verden
Poster
Demonstration outside the jail
Credit: Dalchows Verden
Graphic from court
Credit Gro Vik, Dalchows Verden
Nahla Al-Arian meeting the press
Credit Dalchows Verden
Nahla Al-Arian talking to her mother
Credit Dalchows Verden
Nahla Al-Arian
Credit Dalchows Verden
Sami Al-Arian in Orient Road Jail
Credit Dalchows Verden
Sami and Nahla Al-Arian
Credit: Bud Lee
Al-Arian family with George W. Bush
Slug: St/Alarian Deadline: 7/23/02 Contact: Dr. Al-Arian. Cell phone is 813-300-9393. We have permission to use. caption: Sami Al-Arian, holding daughter Lama, 6, center, with son Abdullah, 19, left, daughter Laila, 18, foreground left, daughter Leena, 14, center, wife Nahla, center right, and son Ali, 9, foreground left, pose for a photo with presidential candidate George W. Bush and wife Laura in this March 12, 2000 family photo in Plant City, Fla. Others, extreme right, are unidentified. (AP Photo/Sami Al-Arian) ORG XMIT: FLSM101
