IslamOnline.net
hosted a live dialogue with Danny Massey, Persons of Interest's producer,
for a discussion of the detentions and the film.
After
the September 11th terrorist attacks, more than 5,000 people, mainly non-U.S.
nationals of South Asian or Middle Eastern origin, were taken into custody by
the U.S. Justice Department and held indefinitely on grounds of national
security. Muslim immigrants were subject to arbitrary arrest, secret detention,
solitary confinement, and deportation. Many were denied access to legal
representation and communication with their families.
During a period when the U.S. government has made every effort to depersonalize
these detentions, refusing to reveal the names or even the number of immigrants
detained, the voices of those affected — their testimonials and experiences
— become our only window into the human costs of post September 11th
immigration policies.
Following an unconventional format, Persons of Interest presents a series
of encounters between former detainees and directors Alison Maclean (Jesus’
Son) and Tobias Perse in an empty room which serves both visually and
symbolically as an interrogation room, home, and prison cell. Through
interviews, family photographs, and letters from prison, the directors have
fashioned a compelling and poignant film, allowing those affected a chance to
tell their own stories.
Danny
Massey is the project coordinator at The Documentary Campaign, a New York City
based company that makes films promoting human rights. Most recently, he was
director of “Ten Years of Freedom: Films From the New South Africa,” a
week-long film festival in New York City organized by the Campaign to celebrate
the tenth anniversary of South African democracy.
Prior to joining The Documentary Campaign, Danny worked as a print journalist
for the Queens, NY Times Ledger newspaper group. There, he won awards for his
coverage of the impact of the September 11 terrorist attack on Queens’
immigrants. He has also worked as a researcher for NBC Nightly News, a national
evening newscast
