A Statement from the Director

“Documentaries stop fascism.”

I saw a shirt this week that read, “Documentaries stop fascism,” and the words really resonated with me. We Are The Redline became bigger than I had imagined, touching on topics I never expected to explore within the United States.

When the genocide began, several people approached me and asked what I was going to film. I knew we would cover an aspect of what was happening in Palestine, but I wasn't yet sure what I wanted our team to capture. I didn't want to take away from Palestinian and Palestinian American voices. I was born in the United States, and I didn't support what was happening. That realization gave me the thesis for the documentary.

I wanted to show the world that people in the United States were fighting for an end to genocide, that Americans would not abandon or forget innocent people losing their lives simply for existing. I initially thought I was documenting Americans protesting in support of people overseas. Instead, the film grew to explore the fight for human rights here at home, too.

The title We Are The Redline was inspired by President Biden's statement, “It is a red line, but I'm never going to leave Israel,” and the Redline protest that followed. It was the first protest we covered for the documentary. I didn't realize then that protesters would soon be risking their own freedom to defend the freedom of others.

The film became a window into the growing fight against the detention of people by ICE and the Trump administration.

Human rights matter, no matter where you live, who you worship, or what you believe. We Are The Redline shows people standing in front of what was once the most powerful office in the world, demanding that human rights—here at home and across the globe—be respected.

I am proud to have directed and produced this documentary.