Press Releases

April 2, 2004

Bilingual Screening of "Farmingville" at Southampton College's Avram Theater
Award-Winning Documentary Chronicles Impact on Long Island Suburb of the Influx of Latino Immigrants; Co-directors to Lead Bilingual Discussion of Film's Content

Contact:
Patricia Conway
631-287-8313

Southampton, NY-- "Farmingville," a complex, emotional portrait of the unfolding response in one middle-class community to the recent arrival of Latino immigrants reflecting the often controversial debate taking place throughout the nation, will be screened bilingually in the Avram Theater on Wednesday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Filmmakers Catherine Tambini and Carlos Sandoval Photo Credit K.C. Bailey

The film, directed by Catherine Tambini and Carlos Sandoval, uses the mid-Long Island suburb of Farmingville as its case study. The 78-minute documentary, which will be broadcast nationally on the PBS documentary series "P.O.V." on June 22 at 10 p.m., captures the fear and anger of a community divided over the influx of undocumented immigrants in search of work and the violence that occurred when two Mexican men were lured from a street corner with the promise of work and then brutally beaten. Tambini and Sandoval will attend the screening and open a bilingual dialogue with a distinguished panel about the film's content.

The filmmakers spent nearly a year in Farmingville, talking to all sides and filming the conflict as it unfolded in legal and political maneuverings, community organizing, vigilante action and, most tragically, violence. "We wanted to tell this story from the inside out," said Sandoval, "to capture the story as it happened. We shot over 200 hours of footage, in two languages, to reveal the personal stories behind the headlines and sound bites." The film won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and has been named Best Documentary at Cinefestival 2004 in San Antonio and at the 2004 San Diego Latino Film Festival. In an editorial, "Newsday" said "Farmingville" should become required viewing for every decision-maker and local official in the state of New York."

"It's an important portrait of the trials and tribulations of people who've come to our country, the land of freedom, to look for work," said Southampton College film professor John Reilly, organizer of the event. "It's one thing to read about these events in the newspaper, quite another to witness it from the intimacy captured on film."

Co-sponsors of the film showing are SoLa: Latin American Outreach Center, the East Hampton Anti-Bias Task Force, OLA (Organizacion Latino Americana) of eastern Long Island and the Southampton Anti-Bias Task Force.

The public is encouraged to attend this free, rare opportunity to view some of the events surrounding this topical subject. Further information can be obtained by calling Professor Reilly at (631)287-8143.