Oscar-nominated Palestinian director Emad Burnat was detained on LAX as he entered the U.S. on Tuesday for this week’s awards ceremony and his family threatened with deportation.
Emad Burnat says that when he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport from Turkey with his wife and 8-year-old son, customs agents told them they didn’t have the proper proof that he was a nominee and would send them back if they couldn’t verify the reason for their visit.
The director had brought his family to Los Angeles for Sunday’s Oscars where his documentary 5 Broken Cameras has been nominated for an Academy Award.
After about an hour of questioning, the agents allowed Emad Burnat and his family to enter the country.
Oscar-winning documentarian Michael Moore said on his website that he helped clear up the matter by making some phone calls to Oscars’ officials on Emad Burnat’s behalf.
Emad Burnat had been in the United States two weeks earlier doing interviews about the film alongside his co-director, Israeli activist Guy Davidi.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that it is prohibited from discussing specific cases, but noted that in general: “Travelers may be referred for further inspection for a variety of reasons to include identity verification, intent of travel and confirmation of admissibility.”
Oscar-nominated Palestinian director Emad Burnat was detained on LAX as he entered the U.S. on Tuesday for this week’s awards ceremony and his family threatened with deportation
Michael Moore, a friend of Emad Burnat’s and a champion of his work, wrote on his website, michaelmoore.com, that Burnat texted him from an airport holding area seeking help.
He said he made a few calls to leaders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who contacted some attorneys to clear up the matter.
Michael Moore tweeted: “Apparently the Immigration & Customs officers couldn’t understand how a Palestinian could be an Oscar nominee. Emad texted me for help.”
5 Broken Cameras, the first Palestinian documentary ever nominated for an Oscar, already has won awards at the Sundance Film Festival and the Cinema Eye Honors.
The documentary features footage that the olive farmer-turned-filmmaker shot using five cameras in his occupied West Bank village of Bil’in, from everyday activities with his family to protests and shootings.
The son with whom he is traveling, Gibreel, was the inspiration for buying the first of these cameras in 2005; like so many parents, Emad Burnat wanted to document the boy’s first steps and smiles.
However, he also found himself wanting to capture the tension and fighting that are daily occurrences in the struggle for territory. In the film, his cameras keep getting destroyed in the violence.
Because of his experiences, Emad Burnat said in a statement on Wednesday, he’s gotten used to the kind of questioning he and his family underwent at LAX.
Emad Burnat said: “There are more than 500 Israeli checkpoints, roadblocks, and other barriers to movement across our land, and not a single one of us has been spared the experience that my family and I experienced yesterday.
“Ours was a very minor example of what my people face every day.”
[youtube qsrsafki9og]
[youtube q_93nOqwmhU]
Michael Moore is the booming voice of the Occupy protests, encouraging activists to continue their battle against the wealthy one per cent of Americans, but he has been uncharacteristically quiet about one thing: his own wealth.
While Michael Moore has denied he is among the top-earners in the country, tax records show he owns an extensive property in one of the country’s most elite communities.
Michael Moore owns a large holiday home on Torch Lake, Michigan in addition to his pricey Manhattan residence.
The spacious 10,000 sq ft property is a far cry from the scene of tightly-packed tents near Wall Street in New York City.
The sprawling timber property has large bay windows, a number of small turrets, a private drive and decking that leads right to the water’s edge.
It is located on the southeastern shore of Torch Lake, regarded by locals as the “third most beautiful lake in the world”.
Michael Moore’s neighbours include Hollywood stars such as Bruce Willis, Madonna and Tim Allen.
The documentary maker also shares the stunning views with corporate executives loathed by Occupy protestors, including ex-Chrysler Chairman Bob Eaton, according to The Michigan View.
Michael Moore is the booming voice of the Occupy protests, encouraging activists to continue their battle against the wealthy one per cent of Americans, but he has been uncharacteristically quiet about one thing: his own wealth.
Houses on the lake cost as much as $3million.
Michael Moore originally bought the 2,500 sq ft home before expanding to two surrounding lots, according to local real estate sources.
Public records show the property in the name of Michael Moore and his wife, Kathleen Glynn, and notes its taxable value at nearly $1 million.
Local real estate agents estimate the real value of the compound at $2 million, according to The Michigan View.
It places the property near the top one per cent of home values in the Forest Home Township and in the state of Michigan.
The township is roughly 98% white residents, according to statistics from 2009.
Michael Moore owns a large holiday home on Torch Lake, Michigan in addition to his pricey Manhattan residence
Michael Moore, who has toured the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations across the country, has previously defended his wealth.
The documentary maker has claimed he never set out to write a book or film with the intention of making money.
On his blog, Michael Moore wrote: “I do very well – and for a documentary filmmaker, I do extremely well. That, too, drives conservatives bonkers. <<You’re rich because of capitalism!>>, they scream at me.
“Um, no. Didn’t you take Econ 101? Capitalism is a system, a pyramid scheme of sorts, that exploits the vast majority so that the few at the top can enrich themselves more. I make my money the old school, honest way by making things.”
Talking with Piers Morgan about Occupy, Michael Moore joked: “I’m here talking against my own interests.
“I’m not in the one per cent. For a documentary filmmaker I do very well. There’s a big difference between a documentary and Avatar.”
In another interview on Tuesday, Piers Morgan said: “I need you to admit the bleeding obvious. I need you to sit here and say, <<I’m in the one per cent>>, because it’s important.”
Michael Moore refused, saying: “I’m not.”
He said that, even though he is wealthy, “I am devoting my life to those who have less and who have been crapped upon by the system.
“That’s how I spend my time, my energy, my money on trying to up-end this system that I think is a system of violence, it’s a system that’s unfair to the average working person of this country.”
Public records show the property in the name of Michael Moore and his wife, Kathleen Glynn, and notes its taxable value at nearly $1 million
Meanwhile, multimillionaire rapper Jay-Z is launching a line of t-shirts in support of the Occupy movement – but does not intend to share the profits with the protesters.
Jay-Z was recently seen wearing one of the shirts, which changes the phrase “Occupy Wall Street” by crossing out the “W” and adding an “S” to read “Occupy All Streets”.
A spokesperson for Jay-Z’s clothing company, Rocawear, told Business Insider: “The ‘Occupy All Streets T-shirt was created in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
“At this time we have not made an official commitment to monetarily support the movement.”
Jay-Z is worth an estimated $450 million.
[youtube 6MuGc4nCE6g]
[youtube XCZLhEOJ8XA]
