Rae Ceretto, an alum of SHOOT’s 2020 New Directors Showcase on the strength of We Do Not Live Here, has seen that short film spawn a feature-length documentary, Seeking Asylum, for which digital distributor Giant Pictures recently acquired the worldwide rights. Directed by Ceretto and produced by Kelly Scott–founders of Honeypot Productions, which opened in 2020–Seeking Asylum is now available to rent and own through Amazon, iTunes and other movie buying outlets via Giant Pictures.
Seeking Asylum chronicles the endless deterrents migrants face when petitioning for asylum in the United States. The film follows the journey of Kensy as she and her children flee from Honduras to seek protection. Many people view getting to the United States as the final hurdle of the migration journey, but the reality is that once in the U.S. the fight has just begun. During one of the most uncertain times in our country’s history, Seeking Asylum documents the challenges asylum seekers face and shows why asylum is an integral part of the American Dream that we cannot afford to lose.
In tandem with the film’s release, the Seeking Asylum team is launching an impact campaign dedicated to educating audiences about the perils of the immigration court system and raising awareness for tangible asylum reform. Calls to action include urging Congress to pass the Real Courts Rule of Law Act to create an independent immigration court, signing the Welcome with Dignity Pledge to protect access to asylum and reject policies like Title 42 that have prevented people from seeking asylum indefinitely, and funding organizations that provide pro-bono legal counsel for asylum seekers. The need for asylum seekers to have access to a fair court system that includes legal representation for all plays a leading role in the documentary and its goal is to create widespread awareness for these issues.
The documentary makers have partnered with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), National Association for Immigration Judges (NAIJ), The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Jewish Family Service (JFS), Welcome with Dignity, Kids In Need of Defense (KIND), Human Rights First, Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, This is About Humanity, Interfaith Immigration Coalition, and the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies.
“It has always been my goal to give people a platform to tell their stories through documentary filmmaking,” said Ceretto. “In order to change surrounding narratives, we need to cultivate human connection through shared experiences. There is a huge difference between the reality asylum seekers are encountering and the rhetoric that we see depicted in the media. Kensy’s story gives a face to the asylum journey and to all the asylum seekers arriving at our border every single day.”
Seeking Asylum marks Rae and Kelly’s feature filmmaking debut. Honeypot Productions is a female-owned and operated production company specializing in documentary and nonfiction storytelling. Honeypot prioritizes hiring female identified crew and staff from diverse backgrounds.
Ceretto’s first time directing was in 2019 for the aforementioned short, We Do Not Live Here Anymore, which centered on the migrant camps in Tijuana. The piece made its world premiere at the Matador Film Festival where it won the audience choice award.
