The New York premiere of Robert De Niro’s 14 minute short film titled, Ellis and directed by French artist JR.
ELLIS, the brooding 14-minute film is directed by French artist JR, and it is set in a hospital at America’s legendary migrant processing center Ellis Island. Quite a number of people attended the premiere of Ellis. Olivia Wilde, Susan Sarandon, Robert De Niro, who stars in the short film, Drena De Niro, and Debi Mazar showed their support for the film by attending the screening. [Read the article on Daily Mail]
The short narrative film, ELLIS, awakens our collective memory. Leaving their past behind them, immigrants fleeing poverty, discrimination, dictatorship arrived there. Ellis Island was the gateway to the United States for millions of immigrants. Upon arrival, they were processed, approved or denied access. Due to sickness or simply tiredness, many were placed in the hospital. A purgatory of sorts, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, where thousands of men, women and children awaited their fate.
ELLIS tells the forgotten story of these immigrants who built America while questioning about those who currently seek the same opportunities and safety in this country and other parts of the world.
The short film stars Academy Award Winner Robert De Niro, was written by Academy Award winner Eric Roth and directed by the artist JR whose Unframed art installations in the abandoned Hospital complex serve as the set for this powerful and timely film.
The director JR previously told The New Yorker the film had parallels to today’s refugee crisis, and that he hoped to make people think of the real person behind every immigrant’s tale.
ELLIS – trailer from SOCIAL ANIMALS on Vimeo.
‘There were immigrants in Ellis a hundred years ago, there are migrants now, and there will be some in a hundred years, so we have to do what we can to try to relate to each individual story,’ he said. Also at the premiere were actor Kevin Corrigan, who also appears in Wilde’s current movie Meadowland, and magician David Blaine.
Organize your own screening of ELLIS in your community! Sign up at bit.ly/EllisTheMovie #ELLISstory JR will send you the movie! @jralph
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