“In immigration court, judges do death penalty cases in a traffic court setting,” the Honorable Immigration Judge Dana Leigh Marks once said.
That reality is starkly reflected in “The Courtroom,” a 2022 film following the real-life deportation case of Elizabeth Keathley, in which every word spoken comes directly from her actual court transcripts.
On September 18, Ayuda partnered with Georgetown University and Waterwell to screen this poignant film at Georgetown’s Capitol Campus, followed by a powerful panel discussion that delved into the often-overlooked struggles of immigrants facing deportation. The evening wasn’t just about watching a film; it was a call to reflect on the role we play in shaping a just legal system for all.
The event opened with a warm reception, where supporters, community members, and legal advocates gathered over refreshments. After the brief reception, The Honorable Paul W. Schmidt, retired immigration judge, Georgetown Law adjunct professor, and Ayuda Advisory Council member, welcomed the audience with personal remarks about his personal connection to “The Courtroom.” As someone deeply familiar with the challenges of immigration cases, his introduction set the tone for an evening focused on empathy and understanding. Click here to read his full remarks.
From Real Courtrooms to the Big Screen: How “The Courtroom” Came to Be
Before our feature presentation began, Waterwell’s Co-Founder Arian Moayed and Managing Director Sarah Scafidi took the stage. As the writer of “The Courtroom,” Arian shared how the film came to be.
It all started in 2018, when he came home to find his mother watching news footage of immigrant children in cages. She was heartbroken, not only for the kids, but because it was happening at the hands of the country she so dearly loved. For Arian, it begged the question, “How can art tackle these massive issues?”
Arian turned to his Waterwell colleagues with this challenge, and they found themselves reading transcripts of deportation cases. When they stumbled upon Elizabeth Keathley’s proceeding, Arian found it resonated deeply with him and used it to pen the script of a play called “The Courtroom.” Waterwell performed the piece in active courtrooms to sold-out audiences across New York City. It was so popular that when Arian and Director Lee Sunday Evans were approached to bring Elizabeth’s story to the big screen, they jumped at the opportunity.
A Powerful Panel Discussion: Insights on Immigrant Justice
After credits rolled on “The Courtroom,” Ayuda Advocacy Manager Sandra Benavente moderated a brief discussion exploring how Elizabeth’s story reflects challenges that our immigrant neighbors continue to face to this day.
The Meyer Foundation Director for Virginia Partnerships and Strategy, Edgar Aranda-Yanoc, stressed the importance of legal representation for immigrants, and shared how his advocacy helped make Virginia one of the 19 states that allows undocumented immigrants to seek driver privilege cards.
Ayuda’s Language Access Director Marilyn Lovo explored the many points in Elizabeth’s journey in which a lack of language access caused her harm. She also explained how Ayuda’s interpreter banks help local nonprofits break down language barriers for the clients of more than one hundred nonprofits in our region.
Thank you
The Ayuda team is deeply grateful to all of our supporters and community members who came out to see “The Courtroom,” as well as our speakers and panelists. We also thank Georgetown’s Office of Community Engagement, for kindly donating use of their event space, and Waterwell, for letting us screen their film at no cost. Because of their generosity, every ticket sold to the screening will go toward our legal, social, and language access services for immigrants.
Waterwell is a nonprofit organization founded in 2002 that works with community organizers to make art that seeks to cultivate connections across real and perceived divides. To plan a screening of “The Courtroom” for your organization, contact [email protected].
If you enjoyed “The Courtroom,” we encourage you to check out Waterwell’s upcoming production at the Woolly Mammoth in DC. Also directed by Lee Sunday Evans, The Ford/Hill Project revisits the testimonies of Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford. With an ensemble of four actors speaking from the verbatim transcripts of these pivotal hearings, these two women’s stories can be seen in a new light displayed side-by-side in this illuminating work. Learn more here and mark your calendar for October 7!