Press release:

Manassas Gets First Look at “9500 Liberty”
Award-winning Documentary Recounts 2007-2008 Immigration Culture War

MANASSAS, VA — Jan. 22, 2010
Mid-way through a national tour that has netted two film festival awards and two city proclamations, “9500 Liberty” returns to the place where it began when George Mason University’s Verizon Auditorium hosts a Tuesday 6:30 PM screening on Jan. 26.

This is the first time the feature length documentary has screened in Manassas, home to several of the film’s primary figures, including Greg Letiecq, a blogger and political activist who helped engineer the passage the nation’s most aggressive local ordinance designed to “crack down” on illegal immigration, and Gaudencio Fernandez, a building contractor who protested the law by erecting a series of banners on his property near the Old Town Manassas train station. The film reveals in dramatic detail how and why the controversial “probable cause” mandate for immigration status checks was repealed in April, 2008 by the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010
6:30 PM
Verizon Auditorium, Occoquan Building
George Mason University, Prince William Campus
10900 University Boulevard
Manassas, VA 20110-2203
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Directors Eric Byler of Gainesville, VA and Annabel Park of Silver Spring, MD have traveled with the film to ten states in recent months, with a host of upcoming screenings that include Hampden-Sydney, VA, Ohio, Montana, and Nebraska. In February, “9500 Liberty” will be presented to Members of Congress at the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Tuesday’s screening, presented with Spanish subtitles, is the opening night for the Immigration and Human Rights Cinema series, hosted by George Mason University and the local interfaith group Unity in the Community. It will be followed by a Q & A discussion with the filmmakers and representatives of the Prince William County Police Department, including a Spanish speaking Officer.

“9500 Liberty” won Best Documentary at the Charlotte Film Festival last September, and the Audience Award at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November. The Mayor of Austin, Texas and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors both issued proclamations commending the film prior to public screenings. The filmmakers expect to announce a cable television premiere and a DVD release date in coming weeks.

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133 Thoughts to “Manassas Gets First Look at “9500 Liberty” Tuesday Jan. 26”

  1. That was a very interesting interview. It blows away some old notions about the content of the film. Nice job, Annabel.

    Hopefully everyone will be able to see the film. It has ‘come home’ to the place of its birth.

  2. Opinion

    Has the film changed since I last way it (Woodbridge… December?) While I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure, I think I’ll wait a while before going to another viewing. It’s really good work!

  3. Rick Bentley

    I’ll finally go see it.

  4. Rick Bentley

    Thompson asked great questions.

    “They are American citizens … they speak English … can you give them a chance?” Huh? They have all the rights of a citizen, so what is this “chance”? Some kind of special protection?

    Annabel, the collective decision has been made. It’s done. Greg won, you lost.

    Eventually, the will of Americans will prevail on this issue.

  5. Thanks, Moon. Great press release from the filmmakers, but they misspelled Manassas! Looking forward to seeing the final film and hearing the panel afterward.

  6. Poor Richard

    Worse than misspelling Manassas, they have misunderstood and defamed
    it far and wide to further their film careers.

  7. IVAN

    PR, perhaps you should see the film before you draw conclusions.

  8. Lafayette

    @IVAN
    He’s like too many others for some reason they refuse to draw their OWN conclusions. I guess it’s much easier for them to ASSUME. 🙂

  9. Witness Too

    @Poor Richard
    Richard, if you see the film, rather than assuming, you’ll see that if anything the film shines a positive light on the city’s name and the county’s. If there was a bad reputation earned for us, I think we can look to people named Letiecq or Duecaster and perhaps Stewart. The film shows that the county has a whole host of diverse people and opinions and that ultimately the cooler heads prevailed.

  10. Poor Richard

    There is high quality, intelligent, reasoned film to be made about
    the impact of a sudden massive wave of mostly poor and uneducated
    Hispanic immigrants (many undocumented) on our community.
    It would examine and share the thoughts of all sides — not
    be a flawed and inaccurate propaganda piece for one extreme.

    That film has yet to be made.

  11. Lafayette

    Witness, you’re making to much sense for some to grasp. It’s much easier to complain and assume then making a statement based on their actual opinion. I guess some like the road of those refuse to judge for themselves. Geesh.

  12. Lafayette

    PR, I have to ask what if Greg L made a movie. Would you go see it? Or would make the same assumptions you have of Eric & Anabel’s documentary?

  13. Poor Richard

    Lafayette,
    Doubt if I would see a GL movie for the same reasons — the
    promise of distorted facts through a dark biased lens.

    And especially if he named it for an address in Old
    Town Manassas and makes a “hero” out a man who promised
    to “make Manassas sorry” for not giving him an
    instant zoning change to business when he destroyed a
    a historic residence.
    And if everyone is from PWC and the film is mainly
    about PWC but Manassas City has negative
    baggage hung around its neck.

    Nope, don’t think I would like it either.

  14. Witness Too

    Richard the first half of the film is mostly people who think like you think “intelligent” people should think. They are very concerned about the rise in the Latino population, and they like you assume “most” of them are undocumented. My favorite part is the second half where in addition to that view there is a new concensus that doesn’t reject people’s fears and suspicions, so much as it rejects the very bad policy decisions that were made during a period of overblown fear and suspicion. But just so you know the extremists do get their fair say.

  15. Poor Richard

    Perhaps the same smug self-righteousness might be thick in the air,
    but doubt if GL’s crowd would hold hands and sing Kumbaya.

  16. Lafayette

    @Poor Richard
    PR, well I’m glad to see that you would probably “boycott” both films. I can fully respect your choice to not see either of them. I just felt the question had to be asked, and I thank you for your answer.

    I agree with your words regarding the sign in the City. I’ve always said it was misplaced anger that hurt the city. The zoning laws were clearly violated.

    I believe you are an “Independent” like myself. It’s unfortunate that the two extreme sides are the loudest. The vast majority are in the middle. It’s high time that America woke up and ignored both parties, and vote on the issues. The BS both parties are selling is worth a hill of beans. imho.

  17. Elena

    The film IS about what happens in the middle Poor Richard.

  18. Lafayette

    oops..ISN’T worth a hill of beans. imho

  19. Elena

    Poor Richard :There is high quality, intelligent, reasoned film to be made aboutthe impact of a sudden massive wave of mostly poor and uneducatedHispanic immigrants (many undocumented) on our community.It would examine and share the thoughts of all sides — notbe a flawed and inaccurate propaganda piece for one extreme.
    That film has yet to be made.

    I’m glad to see you too see the issue as a demographic change focused on the influx of hispanics. I dont care what the “status” is of someone, that gives people NO right to reduce them to “cockroaches” and “parasites” blaming them for all the ills of an entire county/country.

  20. Which version of the film did you see, Poor Richard?

    I have seen the latest version and I did not walk away with a bad feeling about Manassas nor did I feel Fernandez was hero. He played a part. His part.

    I can see some considering him a hero, obviously some immigrants would find him a hero. That’s perfectly understandable. However, 9500Liberty doesn’t portray him as that hero. He may strut around like hero, but that doesn’t make him one. He is who he is.

    If you think 9500Liberty lionizes Fernandez, I think you are reading something into it that just isn’t there.

    If there is a lion, or lioness, it is the Chief for doing his job with great dignity and not allowing the hate-mongers to drag him down. He stuck to his principles and he did his job without missing a beat, in the face of great political pulling, pushing and prodding.

    If there are lionesses, they would be Alanna and Elena who came forward time after time to demand that our county treat all its residents with decency and dignity and that calling human beings vermin and dog food was simply unacceptable. They insisted that the bar be raised not lowered.

    There are some unsung lions and lionesses who will never be identified, but they know who they are, who reached out to the blog community and worked right along with the leaders of the pack. They can never be thanked or publically praised. Those people were invaluable to making our county come to its senses and probably saving it from huge lawsuits.

    And while I am on my soap box, there were some brave supervisors who weren’t afraid to meet with those who thought things had just gone too far. They spoke out and they tried to do the right thing. Some jumped off the run away freight train.

    See the movie Tues. night. If you still see Mr. F as the Lion King, we can talk about why. I expect Eric and Annabel will also give you your say on the matter.

  21. Poor Richard

    Lafayette,
    Thank you for your post. I’m indeed a proud Independent and
    have little use for extremism. I enjoy sitting down to reason, discuss,
    question and learn, but loath being preached to by”true believers” on any
    issue.
    Of course people bring different backgrounds and experiences to
    the table. If you don’t know the people in Old Town who are fighting for
    that area with every fiber and if you don’t know the people who live on
    Liberty and Prince William (mostly Afro-Americans, many for generations)
    and if you don’t know the efforts put forth by former councilmember
    Xerk White and other community leaders to buy and save the house
    and the lies and scorn they were met with — then you might think
    9500 Liberty is a cute film title that gives a deserved poke back at
    GL and Corey on the PWC resolution – but I do know those things
    so I hope you understand why I’m not as enamored of the film and
    the publicity surrounding it as some of you.

  22. I am remiss without mentioning that Greg, Corey and Mr. Duecaster play pivotal rolls in that film. I didn’t walk away feeling they were demonized either. They played their own parts. Each set out on his mission.

    Who we make a hero starts off with our own attitudes and feelings before entering the theater. They are not made or created there. If nothing else, you walk away perhaps understand ing why YOU feel the way you do just a little bit better.

    The film is the big picture of how we got from point A to Point B. Fernandez doesn’t wear a white Stetson or ride a charging white steed. By the same token, Greg isn’t dressed in black twirling a cynical handlebar mustache.

  23. Opinion

    @Moon-howler
    I’d comment however, M-h said everything I might have said.

  24. PR, I keep thinking I am finished..but I am not. I have been around since those days and so has Lafayette which I am sure you know. I have been very outspoken about that sign as has she. I think opportunity knocked and unfortunately, the open property happened to be in the City. And that’s too bad for the City. You didn’t need that and those of us frequent fliers from across the border don’t want to see it either.

    The film isn’t about the site. Filmmakers go to where things are happening. If there were signs and large gatherings of pissed off Latinos in my front yard I guess my address would have been used. Epicenters are epicenters. No one wants one in their backyard, I feel certain.

    I didn’t like my west coast friends calling up and saying…and I am ashamed to quote: I see you all over there in Prince William are running off Mexicans now?

    That film is more than fair to Greg, Corey and crew. MORE than fair. If there is anything making them look bad, it is their own words and deeds, and their own attitudes.

  25. Poor Richard :If you don’t know the people in Old Town who are fighting forthat area with every fiber and if you don’t know the people who live onLiberty and Prince William (mostly Afro-Americans, many for generations)and if you don’t know the efforts put forth by former councilmemberXerk White and other community leaders to buy and save the houseand the lies and scorn they were met with — then you might think9500 Liberty is a cute film title that gives a deserved poke back atGL and Corey on the PWC resolution – but I do know those thingsso I hope you understand why I’m not as enamored of the film andthe publicity surrounding it as some of you.

    Good point, Poor Richard. I had the good fortune to interview one of the homeowners on Douglas Street across from Liberty years ago for the Prince William Journal, and there is a rich human history in that area that the newcomers trampled.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/12/AR2007051200042.html?nav=emailpage

  26. Lafayette

    PR, I am not enamored of the movie in the least. In fact, I’ve said very little about the movie, but I’ve seen the movie. I have my opinion, and it’s one I’ve actually kept to myself for the most part.

    I’m quite familiar with City of Manassas my family has lived there since the 1940’s. My grandfather was a founder of Old Domion Speedway. I’m quite familiar the areas and the fine people you mentioned as you can well imagine. I am a huge fan of the City of Manassas and will be ’til my death.

  27. Lafayette

    Cindy, I’m going to actually thank you for posting this article. It really shows how Senor was defying the building and zoning laws prior to the original eyesore being attached to the remaining wall of the house. I hope others read the article and see the concerned citizens in that area, and that Senor F has been one big PIA since the house burned. Was arson ever ruled out?

  28. There were lots of issues at that house and at that address long before it became the epicenter.

    Has Fernandez ever heard of a termite inspection? I have never known one done by a legitimate company that didn’t include a written report. In fact, did he finance that house? I don’t think he would be able to without a termite inspection.

    Have I just fallen off the turnip truck?

  29. Lafayette

    @Moon-howler
    Reputable lenders REQUIRE a termite inspection. I doubt they paid cash for the house. I wonder if the mortgage was ever paid off or still being paid on. I would hate to think a bank had to foreclose on VACANT lot that was financed with improvements. Just a couple of things to consider.

  30. Lafayette

    Forgot to mention I doubt Senor F did anything. The property is Senora Alvarez name.

  31. Poor Richard

    Layfayette, Love Old Dominion! Did you know there was a horse race track
    in the early 1800’s called Champs at that the same site and Thomas Jefferson
    stayed at a tavern next to it on the way to his first inauguration? And then
    traveled up what is now Liberty St. on his way to Fairfax? Really.

  32. A little bird told me that the property was transferred from Ms. Alvarez to Mr. F. The documents for this transfer were prepared by an out of town attorney. I guess they thought the City wouldn’t catch on. The deed was dated in December but recorded earlier in the week.

    That’s a big Christmas present. However, I detect weasel words. I would hardly call it a real sale if co-owned becomes solely owned. Buying out a partner is hardly ‘the property has been sold.’ This becomes even more surreal when the house is imaginary.

  33. Poor Richard

    Thank you Cindy for the WaPo article – hopefully more people will
    better understand the background of this issue. Eric and Annabel
    were in the heart of a historic Afro-American community, did they
    interview anyone who is part of that community about the Fernandez
    hate signs?

    Thank you M-H and your “little bird”. That sounds like something
    Fernandez would try.

  34. Witness Too

    All this talk about the “middle” is just another way of stating what your own personal perspective is. If you are a right wing extremist, then Bill O’Reilly is the “middle.” If you are just a regular hard core Republican, then Fox News is “fair and balanced.” If you are educated and want to understand the issues, you probably look to PBS and NPR for something that is truly “fair” and truly “balanced.” If you are liberal you probably think that Keith Olbermann is fair and balanced.

    I think in this county the “middle” is right here on this blog, with all the many voices that come on here. The contributors are from just about every perspective. But people who are way off on the deep end on either side get challenged sometimes and so it balances out.

    There is a similar “middle” in the film. Maybe that’s why most people on this blog support it. It reflects the middle ground, the compromise that everyone who posts here agrees with.

    It was just a bad policy to force the police into a situation where racial profiling seemed to be a government mandate. That was costing us too deeply in our pocket books, with our local economy, and it hurt our public safety as well because the police were distracted, besieged, and spending millions of dollars in the wrong direction. Then a change was made. The requirement was lifted, and our police department went back to doing what they do best: keeping our community safe.

    Anyone who is unhappy with the outcome is probably on the far end of the spectrum. They get to have a voice too, but we achieve an equilibrium here because most people regardless of political party support Chief Deane, and support the bipartisan repeal of this terrible law.

  35. Interesting perspective, Witness2 and good post.

    I hope we are middle ground or at least respectful to those who might disagree. Hopefully we can debate rather than berate like happens elsewhere.

    We cannot reduce 9500Liberty to the story of Mr. F. He really has very little to do with it.

    PR, I know the Eric and Annabel reached out to the African American community. I think that criticism is unjust. Did you expect them to go knocking on doors? I would imagine that would be awkward. What exactly does one say? “What do you black folks think about those Latinos up there on the corner putting up that sign?” Nah…just doesn’t sound right.

  36. Poor Richard–Tweet Tweet. Predictable. I do hope you will see the film. Rick is taking the plunge. I expect Eric and/or Annabel would like to sit down with each of you. I know they have listened to a couple of my ‘suggestions.’ I have found them more than willing to at least look into a point of view not presented.

  37. Witness Too

    It’s true Poor Richard. Mr. F is barely in the film. I think he says one sentence. Seems to me that you have some bone to pick with people in the middle on this issue. For instance to attack 9500Liberty you try to equate them with people who are often attacked and rarely defended like Mr. F and Mr. Leticecq. Why not just see movie and then you won’t have to stand corrected and your criticisms of the film will not sound as arbitrary?

  38. Exactly. The best part of this film series (this is the 3rd semester of them now) is the facilitated discussion after — and the more varied the audience, the better the discussion.
    Come, listen, speak out and add to the dialogue.

  39. Rick Bentley

    “Did you expect them to go knocking on doors?”

    The ones next door maybe, that would be a good idea.

    Naming the film after Fernandez’ property does undercut any arguement of non-bias.

  40. Poor Richard

    W-T, It is a free country so you certainly have the right to defend
    Fernandez, but I have the right to express my displeaure with
    his actions and their negative impacts on my community,
    It is unfortunate that Eric and Annabel opted to give him
    publicity through the naming of their film and feature him in
    the press release at the top of this thread.

    M-H, not interviewing residents directly next to 9500 Liberty
    was laziness at best or perhaps they knew what they would find
    and selected to ignore it. Hot on a story and didn’t
    want facts and views that didn’t fit the narrative.

  41. The movie is not about the sign. The movie is not about Fernandez. Why should they interview the neighbors? They went to where the people were.

    Poor Richard, you are quoted in the movie. Did you know that?

    Show up and ask the filmmakers why they named the film 9500Liberty. Its a good question and I don’t know the answer.

  42. Witness Too

    The press release also has a sentence about Greg Letiecq. It doesn’t mean anything other than that both he and Mr. Fernandez are characters in the story who live in Manassas. If anything that shows balance to have both of those two in there. Why are you even analyzing who is in the press release? That’s even sillier that trying to criticize a film you haven’t seen.

    It’s kind of like picking on Scott Brown because he was once a nude model. No that’s not the reason. If you have something to say against Sen-elect Brown, it is probably because you wish the other candidate had won.

  43. Poor Richard

    “It is easier for the world to accept a simple lie than a complex truth”.
    Alexis de Tocqueville

  44. Witness Too

    Yes, I think we are speaking the same language now Richard. Our county was suffering from the dominance of simple lies until we woke up to the complex truths and repealed that awful law.

    If the simple lies had continued, who knows where our county would have wound up? But if anyone wants to understand the complex truth of what happened with the Immigration Resolution, you should see the film. There will be people speaking on both sides of the fight you don’t agree with, probably MOST of the people in the film you won’t entirely agree with, but there is no harm in that. If you want to hear from only people you agree with, this is the wrong blog for you. We have conversations and healthy disagreements here. So Richard I hope you see the film so your opinions will be informed with at least some of the complexity and the variety of perspectives involved.

  45. Poor Richard

    The “truth” is that the “Resolution” and torrent of emotions and angst
    surrounding it is not the full story – only part of it The film tells
    one side of one piece of a continuing major issue in
    our community.

  46. The film has metamorphised from 2007 to the present. It was a work in progress. PR, you might be responding to some form of the film that you saw about a year and a half ago.

    I would be interested in hearing Eric and Annabel tell us how the film evolved. They used a very different method of editing and producing through the use of youtube. What I saw summer of 2008 wasn’t what I saw summer 2009. What I saw then isn’t what I saw fall of 2009.

  47. Witness Too

    Richard the other part of the story is in there. Unless I’m wrong about what you mean. There is plenty of time spent expressing the basic argument in favor of the Resolution. There were a lot of Latino people that moved in during the past few years. A lot of people didn’t like that and they didn’t like certain things the Latinos did. They focused on those things hoping to get more people not to like Latinos. Oh, and based on non-scientific reasoning, most of the Latinos in the county were undocumented. Thus the Resolution. There is also an argument made by the Latinos themselves. You won’t like this part. They ask to be seen as human beings. But that argument loses and say they love America.

    I think the first half of the film is basically going under the assumption that that “Help Save Manassas” reasoning is correct, but then all the unintended consequences that resulted form the Resolution start to give people buyers remorse.

    Then the second half is where another argument develops, and where people on the Board and in the community finally start listening to Chief Deane. Then the same people who made the Help Save Manassas argument come back to say it again, only this time they lose.

  48. Witness Too

    I added “say they love America” in the wrong place. It was supposed to read: “They ask to be seen as human beings and say they love America. But that argument loses.”

  49. Rick Bentley

    The documentary sounds like revisionist history to me.

    The resolution is above and beyond what neighboring counties are doing, was cause for much wailing and gnashing of teeth, was implemented, and is very popular.

    But that’s not the story Byler and Park want to tell. So they amplified a sub-plot where Chief Deane supposedly helps to “defeat” the “nativists”.

  50. Witness Too

    Well it was not much of a big deal that there were proposed cuts in public services in the Resolution, Rick. We already had laws like that anyway. And most of the unconstitutional (check status in school) and/or impractical stuff (check status at parks and libraries) was taken out in the sausage-making process, or at least without much fuss as I recall. There wouldn’t be any history worth telling at all without Probable Cause police checking of status, so Corey Stewart would not have been on the news and probably Mr. Fernandez and Greg Letiecq would not have gotten much attention either, and probably no film would have been warranted.

    To be honest, I can’t think of anything left to draw any attention in the Resolution after Probable Cause was taken out. Checking status in the jails was something we had already decided to do before the Resolution and it makes perfect sense. There were so many versions of it. In the end everything objectionable got taken out. So when people the Resolution is “popular” it’s hard to know if they know enough to really say what people mean by that.

    But I can tell you this, Probable Cause was unpopular AND unconstitutional and that’s why it went bye-bye over Mr. Letiecq and Mr. Stewart’s dead bodies.

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