(Excerpted from a recent interview by EPIM - European Philanthropic Initiative for Migration) In a world where migration is often...

Germany has made a historic change to its citizenship laws, allowing dual citizenship for the first time. This shift, passed by the government, holds immense potential for the millions of residents with immigrant backgrounds who, until now, were forced to choose between their heritage and being fully recognized as German citizens.

On May 16th FROM HERE, will be screened in Seattle at Northwest Film Forum, accompanied by composer Alex Guy and a string trio with a live score. A q&a with the director/composer, and a reception will follow.

2023 was a year in which we deepened our work to shift the narratives around migration and belonging in a political climate that needs this intervention more than ever. Over the course of the year, we hosted or participated in 42 events in 11 countries - from the broadcast of FROM HERE on public television, to a screening at the EU Parliament, to multi-day workshops in Egypt, to our "Pass(t) Uns Allen" campaign being referenced in the German Bundestag. 

The FROM HERE U.S. team is creating meaningful discussions on global migration and belonging from the key swing state of ARIZONA to the BRONX and the BAY AREA. Please join us if you are in the region and help us spread the word!

Please join us for a special bilingual (Spanish/English) screening event at the Queens Museum this Saturday Jan 28th from 2 to 4 pm of FROM HERE. The event is hosted by the museum's La Jornada Cultural Food Pantry with support of NYC Commission on Human Rights.

We’re excited to share that our feature documentary, From Here, will broadcast as part of the America ReFramed series on June 11th. The film, directed by Christina Antonakos-Wallace, is an intimate and inspiring look at the lives of four young artists and activists from immigrant families, as they redefine what it means to belong in a world that’s increasingly hostile toward their existence.

In the last months we have been busy orchestrating our international impact campaign, including an upcoming series of screenings along the U.S./Mexico border, events to support unionizing Food Industry workers in New York and New Jersey, and are about to launch the “Pass(t) uns allen” (Citizenship Suits All of Us) campaign in Germany to change citizenship and voting laws. Meanwhile, we are establishing partnerships with institutions and non-profit organizations in the America

The 10th annual Best of NFMLA Awards honored emerging filmmakers across 16 categories, recognizing talent in storytelling and craft. Among the winners was our film From Here, which won the award for Best Film Editing. This well-deserved recognition celebrates the work of Christina Antonakos-Wallace and Aletta Von Vietinghoff in crafting a compelling and deeply resonant narrative.

It is March 11, 2020, and I’m at JFK airport on my way to London for the premiere of FROM HERE at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. As I hand over my bag, a White House press conference takes over the airport monitors: “Travel will be suspended from Europe to the U.S. due to the COVID-19 virus.”

As the year winds down, I hope that each of you is finding peace, warmth and safety as we look ahead to 2022. Today, our team is excited to announce that thanks to a generous donation, we are hiring an Impact Producer in the U.S. to steer the next phase of FROM HERE's community work! 

I first became involved with the With Wings and Roots project in 2015. Through the years, I found myself drawn back to the initiative both because I believed in its mission and because I saw so much of myself in it. When I first watched an early cut of From Here, I immediately connected to the stories of Akim, Miman, Sonny and Tania. It was like watching four versions of myself all at once, all distinct, but all authentic.

The first time I came across the term “with wings and roots” and the larger project that shared its name was in June 2015. I was at a conference trying to decide on a breakout session to attend and the title captured my attention. 

“Immigrants are human beings, not economic units...this is an opportunity for a new approach to immigration. The antidote to four years of hate is not a return to an ambivalent normal. If we want to fight the hate, we need to put love and the pursuit of happiness at the center of our laws.”

Spring is here, those of us in the U.S. are so grateful to be getting vaccinated, and we are happy to continue to share FROM HERE with audiences in new geographies. 

This interview was conducted by Guillermina Zabala (GZ) and Sumita Chakravarty (SC) in conversation with Christina Antonakos-Wallace (CA). It has been edited for brevity for With Wings and Roots. The full version can be found on Migration Mapping.  

What an emotional week and month. On the same day that we witnessed a historic step towards police accountability, sixteen-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant was murdered by the police. The recent mass shooting in Indianapolis included four Sikh Americans, but there has hardly been a mention of this racialized dimension of the attack in the news.

"There is such a cathartic power in the removal of symbols of past occupation. It is a visceral reclamation of self-ownership and identity independent from the oppressor and his ideology of subjection. Every toppled statue shatters the illusion that the ‘glorious’ era of Empire was anything other than exploitative and drenched in the blood of non-White peoples. It is a forced reckoning of the crimes of the nation."  

At the start of the pandemic, it was thought that COVID-19  would be a great equalizer. The virus did not discriminate along class, race, citizenship status, or any other social construct — everyone was in the same boat.

We hope you are healthy and hanging in there. There is a lot brewing this Spring with FROM HERE & With Wings and Roots!  Join us for an upcoming screening or workshop, and please spread the word with your friends, colleagues, networks.