In conversation with the Center for the Study of American Democracy's 2025 biennial conference, "A Nation of Immigrants?" held March 26 - 27, CSAD student associates have planned a film festival featuring several films on immigration.
Film Festival Schedule
- Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. in the Community Foundation Theater: "Human Flow"
Directed by Ai Wei Wei and filmed over the span of one year, "Human Flow" travels across 23 countries to follow individuals in their desperate search for safety, shelter and justice. The film captures a chain of human stories from teeming refugee camps to treacherous ocean crossings to barbed-wire borders. This film is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and begs the question: Will global society emerge from fear, isolation, and conflict and choose a future of freedom, openness and respect? - Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. in the Community Foundation Theater: "Fire at Sea"
Directed by Gianfranco Rosi, "Fire at Sea" tells two parallel stories: the everyday life of Samuele, a young boy on the island of Lampedusa, and the dangerous journeys of migrants trying to reach its shores. The film shows the contrast between Samuele’s world and the harsh reality faced by those fleeing their homes. By capturing both innocence and desperation, "Fire at Sea" forces us to confront the human cost of the refugee crisis and the indifference that often surrounds it. - Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. "Frozen Out" and "Immigration Nation" Episode 2
Directed by Assistant Professor Hao Zhou, "Frozen Out" follows an émigré wandering the Iowan frozen prairies and forests, his journey punctuated with found footage from his rural Chinese childhood. This experimental documentary uses these methods to reflect on themes of queer exile and mental health struggles, portraying the protagonist's yearning for places to create meaningful work while also escaping the anxieties of dislocation.
"Immigration Nation" is an investigative Netflix docuseries from 2020, which takes a deep look at contemporary U.S. immigration issues through access to ICE operations and personal portraits of immigrants. The second episode of the series is
"Maintaining Vigilance," and it covers the moving stories of several immigrants through the difficult and traumatic process of crossing the border, as they face monitoring, detention and possible separation from their families, all for the opportunity for a better life. - March 22 at 1 p.m. in the Community Foundation Theater: "Here, Hopefully" and "Living Undocumented" Episode 1
Directed by Assistant Professor Hao Zhou, "Here, Hopefully" follows Zee, a nonbinary aspiring nurse from China, on their personal journey to build a gender-affirming life in rural Iowa after graduating from nursing school. This short documentary offers a poignant exploration of the difficulties and anxieties immigrants face when seeking visas to start a better life in America.
"Living Undocumented" follows eight immigrant families facing the drastic consequences of changes in U.S. immigration policy. The fates of some of these families are explored in episode one, "A Prayer in the Night," where new deportation policy threatens to upend the lives of immigrants, many of whom have lived and worked in the United States for years.