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ROBERT DE NIRO IN A SHORT FILM ABOUT ELLIS ISLAND DIRECTED BY STREET ARTIST JR

ROBERT DE NIRO IN A SHORT FILM ABOUT ELLIS ISLAND DIRECTED BY STREET ARTIST JR
Fri, 11/20/2015 - by Dan Solomon
This article originally appeared on Fast Company

The crisis that Syrian refugees face has only intensified in the past week, since the attack in Paris sent American politicians scrambling to assert that people seeking asylum from extremists in their home would not be welcome over here. The fact that America has always been about taking in the tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free has been dismissed in favor of discussion about who is and is not welcome, or who does or doesn't pose a risk to the security of those of us who are already here. The discussion around all of this isn't exactly new, but it certainly has changed dramatically in its tone and tenor in the wake of what happened in Paris. And it all makes the just-released short film "Ellis," directed by street artist JR, written by Forrest Gump screenwriter Eric Roth, and starring Robert De Niro so much more timely.

The film, which runs 13 minutes, was released via Facebook on Thursday. It's constructed around a monologue delivered by De Niro, as he tells the story of the trip to Ellis Island—the gateway to the U.S. for immigrants from around the world for the years between 1892 and 1954. While the film isn't necessarily an exercise in visual storytelling (De Niro's monologue drives the narrative), the combination of words and images make for a compelling mix, with JR's installations providing a potent backdrop. At the very least, offering such an in-the-zeitgeist reminder of the role of immigration in building America at a moment when immigration and people seeking the same sort of refuge that those who crossed into the country at Ellis Island did are very much part of the national mood makes "Ellis" a profound piece of art coming at just the right time.
 
[via FastCompany] The full film has been removed from Facebook but the trailer is above.
 
 
ELLIS

From wars to refugee crisis, from terror attacks to global warming, we are living in a time of radical change. Will we stand united against violence? Will we welcome people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds into the countries we now call home? Our choices define who we are and shape the world we live in. We all come from somewhere, our film ELLIS is a collaboration between French, Italian, German, Tunisian and Moroccan immigrants. When we started this project almost 3 years ago we had no idea how much we would learn. Watch ELLIS today on Facebook, for 24 hours and start a solution-based conversation in your community.ELLIS, a short film by JR, with Robert De Niro, written by Eric Roth.#Watch #Talk #Share #ELLISstoryGuerres, exode, attaques terroristes, réchauffement climatique: nous vivons dans une ère de changement radical. Resterons-nous unis contre la violence? Accueillerons-nous des gens de culture et religion différentes? Nous venons tous de quelque part, notre film ELLIS est une collaboration entre immigrants français, italiens, allemands, tunisiens et marocains. Lorsque nous avons commencé ce projet il y a 3 ans, nous n'imaginions pas combien nous allions apprendre. Regardez ELLIS aujourd'hui sur Facebook, pendant 24 heures, et initiez une conversation dans votre communauté.Cliquez sur le bouton CC pour voir les sous-titres en français.ELLIS, un court-métrage de JR, avec Robert De Niro, écrit par Eric Roth.#Watch #Talk #Share #ELLISstory

Posted by JR Artist on Thursday, November 19, 2015

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