“The laws see immigration clients as guilty until proven innocent,” explains Portnoy, whose own family was granted asylum in the United States in 1979 in order to be spared from the religious persecution endured by Jews in the Soviet Union. There's a great scene where Judy tells Asefa the difference between them is that she was lucky enough to be born in America. Judy Wood (played by Michelle Monaghan) and Asefa Ashwari (Leem Lubany) in Saint Judy. With the help of a friend, Ashwari managed to escape to bordering Pakistan in search of eventual sanctuary in the United States. To find out more about Sight+ and how you can support the work of Sight, head to our Sight+ page.

Michelle Monaghan (the Mission: Impossible franchise) is real-life immigration attorney Judy Wood, who single-handedly changed the U.S. law of asylum to save women's lives. "In a landmark case — her first as an immigration lawyer — Judy Wood represents Asefa Ashwari, an Afghan woman who fled her home country after being persecuted by the Taliban for opening a school for girls. In Afghanistan in the late 1970s, Asefa Ashwari, a young mother, was jailed and tortured by the Taliban for committing what was determined to be an act of defiance by the patriarchy of her home country. Monaghan (and the name 'Saint Judy' turns out to be a derogatory term that ultimately gets turned on its head) gives a strong performance as the lawyer Wood, struggling to look after her young son and navigate the new world of immigration law, while Lubany's portrayal of asylum seeker Asefa Ashwari is deeply moving. In a word: Riveting. Applicants must prove that their oppression is a direct result of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. A portion of the proceeds from this weekend's cinema showing of the film in Australia (from 20th to 24th August) will contribute directly to the work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. Sight+ is a new benefits program we've launched to reward people who have supported us with annual donations of $26 or more. A young Afghan woman, Asefa Ashwari (Leem Lubany), had been held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for a year. Michelle Monaghan plays Judy Wood with strength and conviction. The true story of immigration attorney Judy Wood as she represents and fights for Asefa Ashwari, an Afghan woman who fled her home country after being persecuted by the Taliban. “When I go to immigration court, I must know every letter of the law and enunciate the particular social group to which the respondent belongs, which may be difficult because the phrase ‘particular social group’ has two distinct and separate definitions: particularity and social visibility.”. In the Sean Hanish-directed film, opening March 1, single mom Judy Wood (Michelle Monaghan) goes to bat for Afghani school teacher Asefa Ashwari (Leem Lubany), who’s been languishing for … Despite setbacks and losses, their efforts culminate in arguments before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, as they seek to save not only Asefa’s life, but countless others across the world. Olaf is back. Endorsements. The vitriol surrounding immigration is at a fever pitch. Director Sean Hanish and writer Dmitry Portnoy both have their values in the right place. “Instead, I pay close attention to the actors’ interactions and facial expressions to experience the emotional story created by the cast and the director.”, On the portrayal of Ashwari’s character, Portnoy explains that, “The real Asefa is an extremely private person, and understandably so. “With Asefa, I made a tremendous effort to incorporate international human rights law into asylum law, which was an influential move because no one had ever done that before,” reveals Wood, adding that in one of her first cases, she called an international human rights expert to testify before a chief judge in a Los Angeles court, who was so impressed with Wood’s integration of this legal angle that he ultimately ruled in her client’s favor. Get rid of these clients and recruit paying ones for the office. It focuses on one individual from Afghanistan, Asefa Ashwari who, because she started a school for girls, suffered violent retribution from the local police and the Taliban. For more information on the Australian release, see www.saintjudy.com.au. The plot thickens when Asefa finally opens up to Judy about her plight. Zack Snyder Has Justice League 2 Plans, But Will It Ever Actually Happen. She experienced turmoil that I could never bring myself to interview her about because I don’t want to trigger her emotional distress and make her relive those traumatic memories. “It amazes me to see how these results have transformed their lives, and I am grateful to have played a role in that transformation.”, Film stills and set photos: Blue Fox Photo of Dmitry Portnoy: James Huang, Seaver College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, Graduate School of Education and Psychology. The true story of immigration attorney Judy Wood as she represents and fights for Asefa Ashwari, an Afghan woman who fled her home country after being… Director Sean Hanish and screenwriter Dmitry Portnoy tackle the issue of honor killings head on. The government prosecutor (Common) is stunned by the details of her case. "In a landmark case — her first as an immigration lawyer — Judy Wood represents Asefa Ashwari, an Afghan woman who fled her home country after being persecuted by the Taliban for opening a school for girls. “Even while working hard under the most extreme conditions, they demonstrated faith greater than my own.”. Saint Judy is riveting and heartfelt. But the law is clear on granting asylum to non-political prisoners. In other words, trust the audience; we understand injustice in all its multifaceted forms and 'Saint Judy' adds another important piece to that reality. Movie Review: ‘Saint Judy’ at the 2018 Los Angeles Film Festival Posted on October 2, 2018 by Billy Bennight “Saint Judy” has a stellar cast of fine actors that include: Leem Lubany as Asefa Ashwari, Common as Benjamin Adebayo, Alfre Woodard as Judge Benton, Alfred Molina as Ray Hernandez and Michelle Monaghan as Judy Wood. “You have to fight for everything in immigration,” says Wood. Virtual Notes From Home: Benjamin Garrett, Sr. The law grants refugees the right to travel to the United States to escape persecution, and to some extent, how they enter the country is irrelevant to their asylum case as long as they declare their presence. “In these circumstances, ‘guilty’ equates to ‘banishment.’”. It strikes at the heart of the illegal immigration debate that continues to divide the country. Upon moving to Los Angeles from Albuquerque, she goes to work at an immigration office where it’s immediately and painfully obvious that the attorneys should quickly sign off on cases and move on. It's while handling her case that Wood, with the aid of her rich-kid intern Parker (Ben Schnetzer), starts to take on those of other people she encounters through the detention centre where Ashwari is being held. Saint Judy is the powerful true story of a determined lawyer and courageous young woman who changed the asylum laws in the United States.

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