Notes on Courtwatch

In early summer of 2025, when ICE officials began detaining asylum seekers at their hearings, an ad-hoc network of New Yorkers began showing up to the Kafkaesque court houses to bear witness and provide accompaniment. Through the ruminations of courtwatchers and striking visuals of the city, Notes on Courtwatch explores the dissonance between everyday life and the largely hidden violence inside immigration court. The film speaks to the power and limitations of bonds forged in hostile spaces, and offers a glimpse into ways people support their neighbors in an increasingly repressive political landscape.

Plays in