First and foremost, I can’t thank you enough for your support over the last decade as the team and I have journeyed to reimagine belonging through the stories told in With Wings and Roots.
Along the way, the project has grown into much more than a film. The team has produced workshops, short films, curricula, historical timelines, installations, and more.
As we near the final cut of the feature film and begin to focus on releasing it out into the world, I’ve decided to rename the documentary to From Here. I believe this sharper title does an amazing job encapsulating the film and will allow us to reach a wider audience.
With Wings and Roots will continue to be the name for our initiative of media makers, educators and cultural rabble-rousers working in the US and Europe to expand thought-provoking conversations about migration, how to challenge racism and nationalism, and foster belonging and solidarity. It is the impact and engagement arm of From Here and the project’s many off-shoots.
Our social media sites for With Wings and Roots will be renamed to From Here. For now, the current community and education site ReimaginingBelonging.org will remain the same but will be moving to withwingsandroots.org later this year.
I realize over the years you’ve seen a few emails saying, “We are close!” While it’s not uncommon for a documentary to take years to edit, it is definitely challenging. There have been many versions, interruptions due to lack of funds, breaks to undertake our community projects, rounds of feedback, life setbacks, more filming, etc.
I am happy to report that we now have a new and strong cut! We recently returned from New Mexico, where we had the pleasure of screening a preview of the film at the Imagining America National Gathering. The convening was a perfect fit, with its themes of migration, belonging and indigeneity. The opening keynote was one of my favourite thinkers, Robin G. Kelly. He spoke provocatively about what it might mean to decolonize “America.”
People laughed, cried, and engaged with us deeply. The feedback forms had comments like “This is such powerful storytelling” and “SO GOOD.” It was exciting to be able to share the stage with Tania and discuss the film and the questions it raises. As Tania most aptly put “each one of the protagonists is in a process of decolonizing their lives throughout the film.” I am so grateful for her articulation. And in truth, so many of us are asking ourselves that question. What does it mean to decolonize our own lives and work? How can we move away from practices based on extraction and domination, and build futures that embrace interdependence and liberation?
I am so excited to finish From Here by the end of this year and release it as soon as possible in 2020. Good things are brewing–we are talking to partners, festivals, and universities about screenings this coming year. We are gathering our friends and co-conspirators to put the final touches on the edit and develop a screening tour. We can’t wait to be able to announce the film’s release!
With the US presidential election right around the corner, we know that the sooner that we can get the film out into the world, the better. We are eager to provoke conversations about the basic rights of humans to move and belong, and the need to act in solidarity locally and internationally. After all of these years, I believe ever more clearly that this film offers something unique and needed in our era of rising nationalism globally.
We are dealing with the relentless assault on our democracy and the basic rights of refugees and migrants. It is dangerous that we become numb. These realities extend far beyond the outcome of our next election. The climate crisis will continue to displace people at a rapid pace. I believe stories told in From Here keep us focused on asking the right questions and seeing the tremendous potential.
This coming year is going to be a big one for us. I am beyond grateful to be sharing this journey with you.
Thank you again for your continued support!
Christina Antonakos-Wallace & the team
PS: Sonny Singh, our collaborator who is featured in #FromHereFilm is running a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for his first album: Chardi Kala. You won’t regret checking out this beautifl music and supporting his work!
