Persons of Interest

 

By James Greenberg

Jan. 31, 2004

 

         PARK CITY -- Following Sept. 11, the United States embarked on the largest crime investigation in history. Fueled by the provisions of the Patriot Act, hundreds, if not thousands, of Arab and Muslim men were arrested and detained without charges. In "Persons of Interest," filmmakers Alison Maclean and Tobias Perse interview 12 detainees and allow them to tell their stories in their own words. Short on artifice but long on relevance, the film offers a chilling look at national policy gone awry. At only 63 minutes, the film would be a natural for television, where the most people would have an opportunity to see it.

 

         Shot during three days in 2002 during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, the film is staged in a stark white space resembling a cell or interrogation room. The austerity of the set is designed to make the audience uncomfortable and suggest the experience of those detained.

 

         Detainees come in one at a time. Some are interviewed with their wife or children one man sings a song for his uncle, who has been deported. Seeing them up close humanizes them these are not criminals but ordinary people who came to America with great idealism.

 

         One couple left Afghanistan in the early 1990s because of Russian oppression and now find themselves in a similar situation in America. In another instance, FBI agents arrested a successful civil engineer and searched his home looking for tools of nuclear and biological warfare, finding only video games. He was incarcerated at Rikers Island for 105 days.

 

         The cumulative effect is chilling. News clips show Attorney General John Ashcroft defending his search and detention policy, but the testimonies of the suspects are more powerful. Although no names or figures have ever been released, an estimated 5,000 people have been detained. None of them has been charged. "Persons of Interest" does a great service in offering new information at a time when open discussion is more important than ever.