Migration Film Series
presented by Seltzer Film & Video
Each documentary in the series will be screened at 3:00 pm in the Main Sanctuary at WUU, followed by a reception and discussion with award-winning PBS filmmaker Laura Seltzer-Duny and guest speakers.
October 11
NOBODY WANTS US
An Emmy-Nominated PBS film about three teenagers and their families hoping to make it safely onto American soil after escaping the Nazi invasion of Europe.
November 15
THE GATE: The Story of America’s First Contraband Community (in production, slated to air on PBS in 2028)
THE GATE is a descendant-led PBS documentary following two families as they trace the paths of their ancestors who fled enslavement and self-emancipated by joining the first Contraband community in the United States.
January 10
LAS ABOGADAS (2022)
LAS ABOGADAS follows four immigration attorneys over a four-year odyssey as the U.S. government upends every law to protect those fleeing from violence and war.
February 7
LAST BOAT OUT (PBS, 2010)
LAST BOAT OUT documentary tells the story of a family of watermen tirelessly trying to preserve their way of life working the waters on the Chesapeake Bay. It’s also the story of a bay battered by development and pollution that’s struggling to stay alive. Narrated by Sam Waterston.
March 7
GRAPES OF WRATH (Great Books Discovery Channel Episode, 2003)
THE GRAPES OF WRATH documentary in the GREAT BOOKS TV series recreates and examines the westward migration of the Joad family during the Great Depression, as depicted in John Steinbeck’s classic novel. Narrated by Donald Sutherland.
April 11
NAVIGATING LIBERTY: Six Lives that Shaped the Revolution (in production, slated to air in 2027)
Hampton History Museum’s documentary about six people in Hampton, VA, during the first Virginia battle of the Revolutionary War. Through their lives, the film reveals the significance of this little-known battle and the people whose experiences helped shape the Revolution.
Why Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists is presenting this series:
In the times we find ourselves, parts of the American story are being erased and rewritten, destroyed and forgotten. We need to continue to shine light on important stories of resilience and courage, such as Seltzer’s current film in production, THE GATE: The Story of America’s First Contraband Community.
Help fund this PBS film and educational program to gain insight into our little-known local history—about stories that need to be told, about families that self-emancipated at the beginning of the Civil War.
Don't let stories like THE GATE: The Story of America’s First Contraband Community be systemically forgotten.
About the filmmaker:
Laura Seltzer-Duny is an award-winning PBS documentary and educational filmmaker with a special interest in producing historical documentaries about significant moments in time, sparking insightful conversations. She has always been drawn to the topic of migration and has produced numerous films about the plight of refugees and their stories of resettlement. Laura is based in the Washington, DC area and will travel around the globe for a cause she believes in. Her work has aired on PBS, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, Discovery Channel & History Channel.
Seltzer-Duny’s family immigrated to the Virginia Peninsula in the early 1900s. She recently relocated to Williamsburg because of her interest in producing historical films about Hampton Roads.
Learn more about Seltzer Film & Video, LLC at SeltzerFilmVideo.com.