MSNBC Films has acquired Errol Morris’ ‘Separated’
MSNBC Films has acquired Errol Morris’ immigration enforcement documentary ‘Separated’.
The documentary focused on the Trump administration’s inhumane policy of separating children from their parents at the US-Mexico border and had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in August, followed by a screening at the Telluride Film Festival in September.
Based on NBC News political and national correspondent Jacob Soboroff’s 2020 book, “Separated: Inside an American Tragedy,” the 93-minute film combines interviews with U.S. government officials and narrative vignettes that chart the plight of a migrant family. According to figures from the Department of Homeland Security, 3,881 children were separated from their families between 2017 and 2021. Morris’s film examines the U.S. government’s role in developing and implementing border policies that have kept more than a thousand children separated from their parents to this day. .
“It’s an attempt to tell a story that we all have to identify with emotionally,” said Morris, who won the Oscar for best feature film in 2004 for “Fog of War.” “It is not just a story about political crimes or bureaucracy, but about people. People like you and me. It’s not about other people. It’s about people.”
Although “Separated” is a co-production between Participant, Fourth Floor, Moxie Pictures and NBC News Studios, Morris did not have a distribution deal with NBC Universal-owned Peacock or Focus during production. What is striking is the fact that the film found distribution. In recent years, major U.S. distributors, including Netflix and Apple, have lost their appetite for controversial content involving politics, which may be why “Separated” hasn’t secured a streaming deal.
On October 4, “Separated” begins a weeklong Academy Award qualifying round at the IFC Center in New York. Submarine Deluxe releases the film in theaters.
In Venice, Morris made it clear at a press conference that he wanted the doctor released before the US presidential elections on November 5.
“(I) hope it will make a difference,” the director said.
During the same press conference, Morris described the document as “an essay on fascism.”
“God knows I strongly appreciate many of the Trump administration’s policies, but the idea that you would somehow hurt children as a matter of policy seemed unthinkable,” Morris said. “(It) just seemed wrong. Morally wrong. These are policies that could happen again, and we must make sure they never happen again.”
“Separated” is the third feature documentary for which MSNBC Films is eligible for an Oscar. In 2021, the company qualified JR’s “Paper & Glue” and in 2023 Lina Plioplyte’s “Periodical”.
“Jacob (Soboroff) has delved deeply into immigration issues for more than a decade and has personally witnessed the situation at the border, for which his reporting has been honored with several of the most prestigious journalism awards. And Errol is one of the most celebrated directors of our time who can shine a light on important issues far behind the headlines in an incredibly cinematic way,” said Amanda Spain, MSNBC Films VP of longform acquisitions. “We feel privileged to bring this film to audiences and support the work of these visionary storytellers and the courageous participants.”
Greenwich Entertainment is handling TVOD distribution for ‘Separated’.
MSNBC will begin airing the documentary on December 7.
Watch the trailer for ‘Separated’.
