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Laura Poitras and Rachel Lauren Mueller on Making ICE Doc ‘They’re Here’ Like a “Horror Movie”
Confirmed
In Short: Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras and Rachel Mueller use horror tropes to document the invasion of Minneapolis by Immigration Customs Enforcement.
Oscar-winning documentarian Laura Poitras and Rachel Mueller have created a new short documentary, 'They’re Here,' which chronicles the invasion of Minneapolis by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) troops last year, using horror film techniques to depict the reality of the situation.
The film, which draws from horror and sci-fi cinema, captures the transformation of a picturesque American Midwestern city into a dystopian nightmare, highlighting the resistance of anonymous residents.
Poitras and Mueller, who previously worked together on Poitras's 2022 Oscar-nominated film 'All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,' decided to go where the news cameras weren't, aiming to shock Americans into taking action.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Poitras and Mueller discussed their approach, stating, 'We used encryption, anonymization, redaction, a review process, and releases that allowed people to opt out before the film was locked.
The documentary, Poitras's first since 'All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,' is a stark portrayal of the ICE invasion, with stylistic elements that make the horrific reality feel like a horror film.
Adam Mellion, a mutual colleague and dear friend of Rachel’s, who has worked with Poitras on her last two films, was in New York City on the day Renée Good was executed and lives in South Minneapolis, where Rachel resides.
Poitras and Mueller hope that their film will not only document the events but also inspire viewers to take action against the policies that led to the ICE invasion.
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- Taylor emphasized that she wasn't heavy at the time, but said dropping the weight felt like just another requirement of getting the job.
- "But no, over the course of the movie, I really started to treat myself," she explained.
- Christine Taylor landed her dream role as Marcia Brady in "The Brady Bunch Movie " – but the part came with a catch.
- The "Brady Bunch Movie" star recalled the uncomfortable demand she received after landing the role of Marcia Brady during the "Office Ladies" podcast, revealing she was "embarrassed" but agreed to do it because "that was just how things went" in Hollywood at the time.
- Rachel and I just started talking about how we were going to approach it, what was going to be different from the news.
- Poitras previously won the best documentary Oscar in 2015 for Citizenfour, her landmark account of Edward Snowden and his NSA surveillance disclosures.