Kartemquin Films

Skip to content

Main Menu

The New Americans

Four years in the lives of a diverse group of contemporary immigrants and refugees as they journey to start new lives in America.

The New Americans follows four years in the lives of a diverse group of contemporary immigrants and refugees as they journey to start new lives in America. We follow an Indian couple to Silicon Valley through the dot-com boom and bust. A Mexican meatpacker struggles to reunite his family in rural Kansas. Two families of Nigerian refugees (including the sister of slain Ogoni activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa) escape government persecution. Two Los Angeles Dodgers prospects follow their big dreams of escaping the barrios of the Dominican Republic. A Palestinian woman who marries into a new life in Chicago only to discover in the wake of September 11, she cannot leave behind the pain of her homeland’s conflict.

Kartemquin assembled a team of talented directors including the creators of Hoop Dreams, Who Killed Vincent Chin, and Vietnam, Long Time Coming. The detailed portraits that resulted were woven into a seven-hour miniseries that presents a kaleidoscopic picture of immigrant life and a first impression of the U.S. that few born in America can imagine.

Filmmakers

Production Manager

Karen Larson

Post Production Supervisor

Leslie Simmer

Post Production Manager

Zak Piper

Post Production Coordinator

Aaron Wickenden

Dominican Story Camera

Carlos Aparicio
Vicente Franco

Nigerian Story Camera

Peter Gilbert
Steve James

Palestinian Story Camera

Gordon Quinn

Dominican Story Sound Recording

Sound Recording
Bruno Pataro
Jamie Kibben

Nigerian Story Sound Recording

Adam Singer

Palestinian Story Sound Recording

Jerry Blumenthal
Fenell Doremus

Media

Awards and Distinctions

Council on Foundations Film & Video Festival

Official Selection

2005

Big Muddy Film Festival

Official Selection

2004

Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

Official Selection

2004

Chicago International Television Competition

Winner

Gold Hugo, Chicago Award

2004

International Documentary Association

Winner

Best Limited Series

2004

It's All True Documentary Film Festival (Brazil)

Distinction

Special Screening

2004

Portland International Film Festival

Official Selection

2004

Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Distinction

Special Screening

2004

South by Southwest (SXSW)

Distinction

Special Screening

2004

Stranger Than Fiction Documentary Film Festival

Official Selection

2004

International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)

Distinction

Special Screening

2003