UPDATE (20 April 2016): Triumphantly, a visa has been granted for Iranian filmmaker Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami to attend the Documentary Edge International Film Festival in New Zealand.
Ghaemmaghami has just received notification from the New Zealand Immigration Office in London that the original decision to decline her visa application to enter New Zealand has been reviewed and she will be issued with a visa. The internationally acclaimed director is incredibly relieved with the decision, which will allow her to see her film Sonita screened for the first time in New Zealand, and to hold a masterclass lecture as part of the Screen Edge Forum.
Ghaemmaghami is very thankful for all the support she received from New Zealanders and abroad, and has issued this statement;
“Thanks to all my filmmaker friends and documentary organizations from all around the world for showing their support in regards to the visa problem. Also, thanks to New Zealand immigration system for showing a responsible and quick reaction to request of more than 1000 people. I am so excited to be able to present my movie to New Zealand audiences in the prestigious Doc Edge Festival. Now I feel that I am a member of a big family of filmmakers all around the world who believe that there should not be any borders for artists.”
NZ immigration originally denied Ghaemmaghami a visitor’s visa claiming she’s was risk of overstaying, despite being on a world tour promoting the film.
Here is the open letter from Doc Edge to Hon Michael Woodhouse, Minister of Immigration, in response to that former decision…
18 April 2016
Hon Michael Woodhouse
Minister of Immigration
Parliament
It is with deep regret that we learnt of the decision of the NZ Immigration Service in Washington D.C. to decline the Visa application from our acclaimed award-winning film director, Rokhraseh Ghaemmaghami. Rokhsareh recently won the best International Feature Documentary and Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival for her film Sonita.
Rokhsareh is an invited guest of the Doc Edge International Documentary Film Festival and its industry event, Screen Edge Forum (4-29 May). Sonita is a finalist in the Doc Edge Best International Film and Best International Director categories. She is scheduled to speak at the Question & Answer sessions, Doc Talks – a public forum of talks for the wider community as well as a featured master-class speaker at Screen Edge Forum, an international documentary industry with filmmakers and delegates from abroad including China, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Israel, Canada, Germany and USA.
We invited her to attend the events in Wellington and Auckland from 12 to 20 May, however, we are disappointed with this decision to decline her Visa and note that no one from NZIS had enquired with us about her bona fides. A quick google search will establish her international reputation.
Doc Edge is an internationally respected documentary festival. We have carefully built up our festival and its reputation over ten years, it was recently selected as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards® short documentary category. There is damage done to both the reputation of the festival and New Zealand as a whole. The message going out to the world does not go hand in hand with our New Zealand hospitality and as a country which is supposed to promote and support innovations, arts and culture.
Rokhsareh is widely followed around the world on social media and the fall out has seen international industry and key filmmakers, broadcasters, sales agents and others comment publicly that they condemn the decision and that they will not be wanting to visit New Zealand any time soon.
We ask that you review this decision and approve her Visa at the earliest possible. We ask that an apology be issued from NZIS Washington D.C. to Rokhsareh for the humiliation and embarrassment caused.
Yours faithfully,
Dan Shanan/Alex Lee
Directors
The Documentary NZ Trust
For the full Doc Edge programme and the latest news regarding the 2016 season, visit www.docedge.nz
4-15 May 2016 Doc Edge Festival: Wellington – The Roxy, Miramar
18-29 May 2016 Doc Edge Festival: Auckland – Q Theatre, Auckland CBD
13 May 2016 Screen Edge Forum: Wellington – Park Road Post, Miramar
18 May 2016 Screen Edge Forum: Auckland – AUT, Auckland CBD
