OUR SINCERE THANKS TO ALL SUPPORTERS!!!

Although this campaign is now over, please contact us if you'd like to join our mailing list, make a donation, or have any inquiries:

info@fourhundredmilestofreedom.com




HELP US RAISE $20,000 TO FINISH THE FILM!

A labor of love many years in the making, this one-hour documentary film is in its last stages of completion.  We are now seeking to raise $20,000 to cover post-production costs, and we aim to premiere the film in 2011.  All contributions help and are greatly and sincerely appreciated!

Note:  There are several ways to contribute (PayPal, direct credit card, or check by mail) but if you'd like the tax deduction you will need to contribute via PayPal.


SYNOPSIS

In 1984, the Beta Israel, a secluded 2,500 year old community of observant Jews in the northern Ethiopian mountains, fled a dictatorship and began a secret and dangerous journey of escape.  Co-director Avishai Mekonen, then a 10 year old boy, was among them.  400 MILES TO FREEDOM follows his story as he breaks the 20-year silence around the brutal kidnapping he endured as a child in Sudan during his communitys exodus out of Africa, and in so doing explores issues of immigration and racial diversity in Judaism.

400 MILES TO FREEDOM provides critical visibility for Jews of color and elevates these diverse, underserved, and underrepresented communities into the general public consciousness. It unravels the misconception that all Jews are white through Avishais personal journey and the stories of other African, African American, Latino, and Asian Jews, both rabbis and scholars. Exploring how Jews, historically diverse, are a global people whose boundaries transcend geography, culture, and race, the film reflects the universal experience of having multiple ethnic, racial, religious and cultural identities and raises questions and dialogue around identity--the assumptions people make about each other, and how we see ourselves.

Contributions are tax-deductible!

400 MILES TO FREEDOM is a sponsored project of Pacific Street Films, a non-profit New York based documentary film production company. Contributions in behalf of 400 MILES TO FREEDOM are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Many thanks,

The 400 Miles to Freedom team



EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Bechol Lashon   
Pacific Street Films

THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY
Bechol Lashon
New York State Council on the Arts
The Jewish Museum, NY
The CUNY Research Foundation
The Puffin Foundation
Avid Technology