Academy Award-Winner Laura Poitras Co-Directs Documentary on ICE Operations in Minneapolis
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras, in collaboration with Rachel Lauren Mueller, has co-directed a new documentary short titled 'They’re Here.' The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and is featured in the New York Film Festival, focuses on the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis. The 24-minute documentary employs horror tropes to depict the surge of ICE officers in the city during the Trump administration's 'Operation Metro Surge.' This initiative aimed to remove the Somali immigrant population from the Twin Cities and destabilize its progressive political order. The film utilizes dash-cam video, counter-surveillance, and crowdsourced footage to immerse viewers in the anxious atmosphere experienced by Minneapolis residents as they evaded and resisted ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents. The identities of residents are obscured for their protection. The documentary highlights instances of violence, including agents using smoke bombs, phy...
