Indefinite
A short Super 8 film on immigrant detention.
Synopsis
Through the intimate testimonies of five formerly detained immigrants, Indefinite (working title), filmed on black and white Super 8 film, unveils the human cost of an immigrant detention system operated by for-profit corporations with troubling human rights records—and it couldn't be more urgent.
The U.S. government recently allocated $45 billion to expand immigrant detention to unprecedented levels by 2029. The previous budgetary allotment was $3 Billion per year.
Violent arrests of immigrants by masked men employed by ICE are now commonplace, but the reality of the immigrant detention business, and the lived reality inside these privately-run prisons, remains largely hidden from public view. This film breaks that silence, offering rare, detailed accounts of daily life in detention—experiences that challenge official narratives and expose the true cost of privatized incarceration.
Shot on Super 8 in stark black and white, the film follows a group of formerly detained people, faith-leaders, and allies, on a journey to all ICE prisons in California. At the time, in 2024, there were six ICE detention centers; now, there are eight, including one former-prison that can hold 2500 people.
The grainy, dreamlike quality of the imagery, combined with powerful audio testimonies, creates a contemplative space where viewers can absorb difficult truths—the anxiety of indefinite detention, separation from family, loss of dignity, and resilience of the human spirit.
Each voice carries its own story, yet together they form a chorus that reveals systemic injustice. The film refuses to sensationalize or exploit. Instead, it offers something more rare, quiet revelation through lived experience—and the irreducible humanity of those caught within a system that is built to isolate, demoralize, and force detainees to voluntarily deport themselves, rather than push back and fight for their right to stay in the U.S.
Film Status
The film was photographed in 2024 and the audio interviews have been recorded. We are now seeking funding to dive into the edit and work with a sound designer to craft the film.
You can watch a Work Sample (pass: dndreel), which is a reel of footage from the film, set to some songs that were recorded on the trip (sung in Fijian and Samoan), as well as movement songs. This is raw footage that has not been edited. The short film will be created from this footage, along with audio interviews with formerly-detained people, who attended the pilgrimage, and spoke on the reality of life inside the brutal system of for-profit ICE prisons.
Funding + Distribution
We're seeking funding to complete post-production and bring these essential voices to the masses. The film will both legitimize the experiences of most-impacted communities, while shedding light on this rapidly expanding business of mass incarceration, one that both policy-makers and the general public need to watch much more closely.
The film will be under 10 minutes and after a highly visible digital premiere (Theo has premiered two films on the NYTimes Op-Docs series), will be freely available and accessible, enabling the piece to be shown and embedded on many digital platforms. Theo is very connected to organizations working in the immigrant rights/detention space and orgs have expressed a high interest in using the film to build their capacity and energize members.
Budget Requested
Total budget: $55,000
Remaining Budget: $35,000
The remaining budget to be raised will pay for an editor, assistant editor, sound designer, color correction, sound mix, translation/transcription, final versioning, as well as an impact producer to get the film distributed to most-impacted communities.
Timeline
With full funding, the film can be edited and finished in 3-4 months.
Safety/Privacy
Right now, all undocumented people, let alone those that stand up to the government, ICE, and the brutal system of incarceration, are being targeted. Over the past 15 years, privacy has always been a key part of making films for Theo Rigby, and it is especially heightened at this moment.
The format of this film creates a dynamic where identities of those that are speaking are not revealed, in fact, no names of anyone will be revealed, yet the imagery will still be intimate and emotional. The Super 8 camera does not record sound, and we did not record image during the audio interviews, combining a credits sequence that will not name anyone who does not wish to be named, this film will take the utmost care in concealing the identities of those most at risk, while still telling their stories in a human, complex, and intimate way.
Filmmaker + Crew
Theo Rigby has been making films with undocumented, mixed-status, and system-impacted communities for over 15 years. His previous films such as Si Pudiera Quedarme, Waking Dream, and Sin País, have screened in film festivals around the world, broadcast on PBS, and premiered on the NYTimes. His films are currently being used by countless communities, universities, and organizations to build the capacity of the immigrant rights movement and paint a complex portrait of the immigrant experience in the United States.
Editor: Daniel Chavez Ontiveros
Sound Design: Jerry Villareal
Assistant Editor: Orlando Torres