This is the first feature-length documentary film to analyze the effects of the aftermath of 9/11 on South Asian and Arab Americans. It documents hate crimes against Muslims and others after 9/11 and examines how Americans react to the perceived “other” in times of war.
Directed by Sharat Raju, Divided We Fall follows then-college student Valarie Kaur in the days and months after the 2001 terrorist attacks as she drove across American interviewing victims of hate violence.
Kaur traveled through 14 American cities, from Ground Zero in New York to Sodhi's gas station in Arizona, and captured more than 100 hours of interview footage. People invited her into their lives to share stories of fear and unspeakable loss, but also of resilience and hope. Her journey ended in Punjab, India, where she interviewed Sodhi's widow, Herjinder Kaur.
Divided We Fall made its world premiere in Phoenix in September and is currently on a tour of universities and film festivals across the U.S. The film also has been shown in the U.K. and India. Valarie Kaur has been interviewed by many media outlets, including NPR and the BBC, and her story was featured in a book by Frances Moore Lappe, You Have the Power: Choosing Courage in a Culture of Fear (2004).
For more information, see the official film site at [www.dwf-film.com] or call the Center for Black Culture at (302) 831-2991.
