This way out:
This highly personal documentary tells the story of three individuals who escaped persecution at home based on their homosexuality to claim refugee status in the United States–Kahunya, who grew up on a mission station in Kenya where his father is a Bishop; Ana Claudia, a famous sports caster in Brazil; and Arslan, who was born into a “noble family” in Pakistan. Their combined stories are a powerful illustration of the universality of homosexuality, regardless of cultural origins, and the vulnerability faced by lesbians and gays in most parts of the world.
Besides portraying eloquent accounts of Kahunya, Ana’s and Arslan’s experiences, the film questions what kind of asylum theU.S. provides for them and what kind of “freedom” they have found.
Dir. Jill Burnett & Anthony Lhotskyc 2004. Canada and USA 32 mins. English
Not In Our Town, Northern California:
When Hate Happens Here looks at five communities dealing with deadly hate violence over a five-year period. Together, the stories reveal that whether the motivation is racism, anti-Semitism, or crimes motivated by gender or sexual orientation, hate is the same. But Californians are finding innovative ways to respond when hate happens here.
From the state capital to the center of San Francisco, from the shadow of Mt. Shasta to the suburbs of Silicon Valley, community leaders and ordinary citizens have found new ways to see through controversy and difference to create a safe place for all residents.
After a transgender teen is killed by local youth in the Silicon Valley suburb of Newark, high school students, residents and civic leaders struggle to deal with a brutal and preventable crime; Sacramento mobilizes after the worst anti-Semitic arson attacks in the California capital’s history; Redding citizens find new strength in diversity after a prominent gay couple is murdered; the Shasta County town of Anderson joins forces to make their values clear when a cross is burned on an African-American family’s lawn; and the San Francisco Public Library turns the mutilation of gay-themed books into an opportunity for creative community action.
Not In Our Town, Northern California is a co-production of KQED-TV and Oakland-based productions company The Working Group, producers of the Not In Our Town films and www.pbs.org/niot Web site.
This new hour-long documentary is the first regionally-focused episode in the Not In Our Town series.