Filmmakers Kreshnik Jonuzi and Saevar Gudmundsson had their New York premiere of their immigration documentary last night at the Angelika Film Center, hosted by the Albanian Professionals and Entrepreneurs Network of America (APEN). The film, entitled Belonging has been nominated for five national and international documentary film awards including the Thessaloniki documentary film festival, the Reykjavík international film festival, the DocuFest International documentary and short film film festival, and The American documentary film festival and film fund.
The documentary chronicles the immigration struggles of a New Jersey-based Albanian family whose journey was wrought with unfair adversity. After being raised and schooled in the United States, Mikel Pukri, was deported to Albania because of an accidental altercation at the airport while trying to emotionally embrace his father who was about to be deported. This petty disorderly persons offense resulted in his six-month incarceration and ultimately led to his removal from the United States and the complete upheaval of his family. The film masterfully and compellingly captures the aftermath of deportation and the struggles to live in and “belong” to a country he never knew as his home.
Immigration Attorney Edward Shulman, of the Shulman Law Group, became involved in the case only after the family had already consulted with several other lawyers. His passion for advocacy, his heartfelt approach to helping Mikel, and his educative style in explaining the intricacies of the case to Mikel’s family and friends were so noteworthy that the filmmakers featured Mr. Shulman in the documentary. Visits to Mr. Shulman’s law office in Elmwood Park, New Jersey and excerpts from Mr. Shulman’s consultations were included in the film to provide the legal context surrounding and the explanatory framework for understanding the causal complexities around the deportation.
The film is currently being shown at film festivals worldwide and is slated to be available via streaming in the near future.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11814822
