Donald Trump\u2019s executive order banning foreign nationals from a number of countries from entering the United States is \u201cabhorrent,\u201d Joanna Natasegara, the producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary short \u201cThe White Helmets\u201d told TheWrap on Saturday.
\u201cWe have always said that if we were to be nominated, we would bring Raed Saleh, the head of the White Helmets, who has spoken many times in D. C., and Khaled Khateeb, the young cinematographer who risked his life over and over again, as our guests,\u201d said Natasegara. \u201cThey\u2019ve been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize \u2014 these people are the bravest humanitarians on the planet, and the idea that they could not be able to come with us and enjoy that success is just abhorrent.\u201d
The film follows members of the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, a civilian group that rushes to provide aid when bombs fall or attacks come in civilian neighborhoods. The group is credited with saving 75,000 lives during a bloody and extended war that has found Syrian civilians under attack by the Assad government, ISIS and the Russian military, among others.
Also Read: Trump Travel Ban Would Keep Iranian Director Asghar Farhadi From Oscars
\u201cThe White Helmets\u201d was directed by Orlando von Einsiedel and produced by Joanna Natasegara, who were Oscar-nominated two years ago for their feature documentary \u201cVirunga.\u201d It is one of two nominated short docs set in Syria, the other being \u201cWatani: My Homeland,\u201d and one of four nonfiction Oscar nominees that deal with the refugee crisis caused by violence in Europe and the Middle East.
Natasegara and von Einsiedel made their new film as a short because they felt a sense of urgency and didn\u2019t want to take the years it would require to shoot and edit a feature. \u201cWe recognized very early on that the story in Syria is so urgent that we needed to make something that could come out quickly,\u201d said von Einsiedel, whose film is now available on Netflix. \u201cThe Syrian conflict is so difficult and upsetting to engage with, and we felt this story was a way to engage people in what\u2019s going on.\u201d
Asghar Farhadi, the director of the Best Foreign Language Film nominee \u201cThe Salesman,\u201d is also in danger of not being allowed into the U. S. for the Oscars.
Read original story Syrian Heroes May Miss Oscars After Trump Travel Ban, Filmmakers Fear At TheWrap<\/p>\n

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