After the September 11th terrorist attacks, more than 5,000 Arab or Muslim immigrants were taken into custody by the U.S. Justice Department and held indefinitely on the grounds of national security. Detainees were subject to arbitrary arrest, secret detention, solitary confinement and... [More]

After the September 11th terrorist attacks, more than 5,000 Arab or Muslim immigrants were taken into custody by the U.S. Justice Department and held indefinitely on the grounds of national security. Detainees were subject to arbitrary arrest, secret detention, solitary confinement and deportation. Most were held on minor immigration charges and were frequently denied legal representation and communication with their families. The Justice Department has ensured the invisibility of these cases, by refusing to disclose the names and total number of people detained. “Persons of Interest” consists of a series of intimate encounters with 12 detainees and family members, in a bare room that functions variously as interrogation room, prison cell and home. In these encounters, detainees share their stories, show photographs, read letters written in jail, re-enact their prison experience -- even sing. This is a uniquely compelling film that gives voice to the human cost of the U.S. government's anti-terrorism campaign. “Persons of Interest” was filmed during Ramadan 2002, at a gathering of September 11th detainees and their families. The film is 63-minutes long and was shot on PAL Digital Beta. “Persons of Interest” is an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival and the Rotterdam International Film Festival of 2004. “Persons of Interest” was made possible by a generous grant from the Sundance Documentary Fund. -- © Official Site [Less]