Humanizes the United States' tragically flawed immigration policy

This wrenching and emotionally affecting story follows three Cambodian-American immigrants living in Seattle. In the early 80s, these children were among multitudes of Cambodian refugees given shelter from the genocidal Khmer Rouge in Seattle’s housing projects. Now, their teenage rebellions have caught with them in a horrific way, and the confluence of their non-citizenship (they are “permanent residents") and post 9/11 anti-terrorism laws lead to their immediate deportation.

Directors Nicole Newnham and David Grabias follow the men back to their native Cambodia, a country that is unfamiliar and fearsome to them. Weaving a complex tale that touches on everything from immigration, genocide and our present culture of fear to the ties of family, SENTENCED HOME is a remarkable, and urgent, story.

Filmed over the course of three years, filmmakers David Grabias and Nicole Newnham have captured intimate moments that crystallize the raw emotion and human impact of deportation: Loeun Lun saying a painful farewell to his wife and two young daughters the day of his deportation; Kim Ho Ma turning to alcohol and drugs in Phnom Penh as a way to deal with his anger and hopelessness; and Many Uch proudly pledging allegiance to the United States during a baseball game, even as he waits for his turn to be deported.

Documentary acquisitions director Danielle DiGiacomo says she was drawn to the film due to the “humanization of such an important and immediate domestic travesty; this is a film that the world needs to watch.”

Sentenced Home

What's This?

What's This?

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Sentenced Home

Release Year: 2006

Duration: 76 min

Availability: Worldwide

This wrenching and emotionally affecting story follows three Cambodian-American immigrants living in Seattle. In the early 80s, these children were among multitudes of Cambodian refugees given shelter from the genocidal Khmer Rouge in Seattle’s housing projects. Now, their teenage rebellions have caught with them in a horrific way, and the confluence of their non-citizenship (they are “permanent residents") and post 9/11 anti-terrorism laws lead to their immediate deportation.

Directors Nicole Newnham and David Grabias follow the men back to their native Cambodia, a country that is unfamiliar and fearsome to them. Weaving a complex tale that touches on everything from immigration, genocide and our present culture of fear to the ties of family, SENTENCED HOME is a remarkable, and urgent, story.

Filmed over the course of three years, filmmakers David Grabias and Nicole Newnham have captured intimate moments that crystallize the raw emotion and human impact of deportation: Loeun Lun saying a painful farewell to his wife and two young daughters the day of his deportation; Kim Ho Ma turning to alcohol and drugs in Phnom Penh as a way to deal with his anger and hopelessness; and Many Uch proudly pledging allegiance to the United States during a baseball game, even as he waits for his turn to be deported.

Documentary acquisitions director Danielle DiGiacomo says she was drawn to the film due to the “humanization of such an important and immediate domestic travesty; this is a film that the world needs to watch.”

Directors

David Grabias

Nicole Newnham

Writers

David Grabias

Nicole Newnham

Producers

David Grabias

Nicole Newnham

Cast

Loeun Lun

Kim Ho Ma

Many Uch

Original Music

B. Quincy Griffin

Cinematography

Howard Shack

Film Editing

Amy Young

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Comments

Posted 10/04/09 by chemena

Wow, this movie broke my heart. I can’t belive that we have laws like that, it’s awful. Hearing that little girl say goodbye to her daddy made me cry. I really hope something is done to change things, no one deserves to go through that. Everyone has made mistakes.

Posted 08/23/09 by malibotox

That’s true. The people in Cambodia don’t like deportees and I met most of the deportess who have gotten chopped and beat up by the locals. It’s like a battle over there between the locals and deportees. Most of the deportees still think they are hard. I went to live there for a year because my husband was deported and I hated it. The Khmer people is always trying to get you for everything you have and they did not see me as Khmer but a foreigner who has lots of money. Jobs are hard to find with the exceptions of foreigners because the Khmer love white people.

Posted 07/21/09 by Godisgreat

I am sorry for all those who has to go back. Life is hard when you are at the mercy of a forn land. You must follow the laws of the land that is not your own. What makes us different from mexicans. They are sent back (the mexicans) why can’t we? Is it because Cambodia is so far. Be strong and God Bless.

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