Reuters - Video

Edition: US | UK | IN | CN | JP

video Video

Bernanke steps into the spotlight
Bernanke steps into the spotlight - 02:13
The official royal wedding guest list revealed
The official royal wedding guest list revealed - 01:23
Shuttle astronauts arrive at Cape Canaveral
Shuttle astronauts arrive at Cape Canaveral - 01:18
Waiting for Bernanke
Waiting for Bernanke - 01:51
Hospital staff flee border fighting
Hospital staff flee border fighting - 01:10
Thousands at Sai Baba funeral
Thousands at Sai Baba funeral - 01:03
Al Qaeda releases hostage messages
Al Qaeda releases hostage messages - 01:43
Obama calls birth controversy \
Obama calls birth controversy "distracting" - 05:29
Three blasts hit Kirkuk
Three blasts hit Kirkuk - 01:25
Protests intensify in Yemen
Protests intensify in Yemen - 01:24
Border clashes displace thousands
Border clashes displace thousands - 01:50
S&P Credit Rating Warning Helpful - Lister
S&P Credit Rating Warning Helpful - Lister - 00:53

'The White Helmets' film makers discuss 'Muslim ban'

Tuesday, February 07, 2017 - 01:58

Filmmakers behind the Oscar-nominated short documentary 'The White Helmets' talk about how President Donald Trump's order on immigration ''directly affects'' them. Rough Cut - no reporter narration.

▲ Hide Transcript

▶ View Transcript

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) The filmmakers of Oscar-nominated "The White Helmets" about Syria's rescue workers said the documentary's subjects are directly affected by U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban and their absence at the Oscars is a "lost opportunity." "The White Helmets," nominated in the Oscars short subject documentary category, gives a glimpse of the daily lives of the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, civilians who volunteer as rescue workers in the war-ravaged country. The founder of the White Helmets, Raed Saleh, and a young Syrian rescue worker who shot scenes for the documentary are unable to attend the Feb. 26 Oscars ceremony due to Trump's executive order that bars entry to the U.S. for citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. "We feel even more responsibility and pressure to make sure that the White Helmets' message is shared with the world if they cannot be here to share it," the film's producer Joanna Natasegara told Reuters at a luncheon for Oscar nominees in Beverly Hills this week. The documentary hopes to convey the "hope, inspiration and collaboration" of the White Helmets amid the years-long civil war, Natasegara said. The absence of the two White Helmets volunteers at the Oscars prevents them from being recognized and celebrated, director Orlando von Einsiedel said. The head of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, organizers of the Oscars, noted the "empty chairs" in the room during the luncheon, adding that the United States should not put barriers in the way of artists from around the world. The "White Helmets" filmmakers are already planning a scripted feature-length movie on the Syrian rescue workers, with Oscar-winning actor and George Clooney developing the project.

Press CTRL+C (Windows), CMD+C (Mac), or long-press the URL below on your mobile device to copy the code

Close

'The White Helmets' film makers discuss 'Muslim ban'

Tuesday, February 07, 2017 - 01:58