Excluded: The Heartbreaking Story of Life in Exile
By Lena Shapiro on 07/11/2010 @ 03:55 PM
Via ExcludedTheMovie.com
Excluded, a documentary only 46 minutes long, tells the compelling story of eight years in exile. Tony is an American, Thomas is German. They’ve spent over sixteen years together. It’s enough for them, and everyone they know to consider them life partners. Yet it’s not enough for the United States, who sent them overseas. From Germany to Cambodia, they’ve yet to find a place to call home. At times heartbreaking and sweet, this documentary combines footage from around the world with family and friend testimonies to show how agonizing the choice between family and country can be.
Tony and Thomas live today as “contemporary nomads,” moving from place to place, never spending long, and “surfing a wave of visas.” They’ve gotten traveler’s visas for a wide range of countries, including India, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia and have spent the last eight years wandering the world. Yet the one visa they want is the one that’s been denied many times over.
Fifteen times, Thomas, who’s from Germany, has applied for an American green card, and fifteen times he’s been denied. American work and school visas pose their own problems of timing, limited access and money. It’s extremely frustrating for the couple, who feel they have tried virtually every way they can to get Thomas into the country, stopping just short of marriage fraud. Nothing worked. They’re still trying. They’re still looking.
First hand, Tony and Thomas know the consequences of being ripped from their country and the life they’ve built. After spending his whole life in California, Tony moved with Thomas to Germany where they could get recognition for their relationship. The move was harder than either expected. Tony found that his education meant little; he had no contacts or resources who could help him start again. It was an uphill struggle for the two, who eventually decided they could no longer stay in Germany, opting instead for a nomadic lifestyle. Although they say they’ve enjoyed traveling the world, it’s not ideal. What Tony and Thomas want is to come home to California, among their family, and live “a normal life.”
Here’s to hoping we can make that reality.
To view the film in its entirety, click here.
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