Laura Poitras and Rachel Lauren Mueller's 'They're Here' Exposes ICE Terror at Venice Film Festival
At the Venice Film Festival, Laura Poitras, the Oscar-winning documentarian behind 'Citizenfour' and winner of the Golden Lion for 'The Beauty and the Pain', and journalist Rachel Lauren Mueller presented their new short film 'They're Here'. The 25-minute non-fiction work depicts the operations of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the grassroots resistance organized by neighbors against them. The film is a response to the killing of Renee Good on January 7, which was not the first death caused by ICE—at least four others had previously occurred—but the impunity and cold-bloodedness of the incident sparked global outrage. Poitras and Mueller's film channels this outrage into a powerful exposé, premiering at one of the world's most prestigious film festivals. The screening underscores the intersection of art and political activism, bringing urgent social issues to the forefront of cultural discourse.
Key facts
- Laura Poitras and Rachel Lauren Mueller directed the short film 'They're Here'.
- The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival.
- The film is 25 minutes long and is a non-fiction short.
- It depicts the operations of ICE and community organizing against them.
- The film was inspired by the killing of Renee Good on January 7.
- ICE had previously been responsible for at least four other deaths.
- Laura Poitras previously won the Golden Lion at Venice for 'The Beauty and the Pain'.
- The film aims to channel global indignation into awareness.
Entities
Artists
- Laura Poitras
- Rachel Lauren Mueller
Institutions
- Venice Film Festival
- ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- United States