Kerry Washington will be joined by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union for a virtual discussion following the release of “The Fight,” a timely documentary focusing on ACLU lawyers as they battle for abortion, immigrant, LGBTQ and voting rights.
“The Fight,” produced by Washington, is being released through virtual cinemas and in select movie theaters on Friday, and the discussion will play exclusively after these engagements. In the discussion, which was filmed last week, Washington converses with Brigitte Amiri, Lee Gelernt, Dale Ho, Joshua Block and Chase Strangio — five attorneys featured in the doc — in a wide-ranging conversation about themes that emerge in “The Fight.”
In a clip from the Q&A, provided exclusively to Variety, ACLU attorney Dale Ho discusses filing a federal lawsuit on behalf of immigrants’ rights associations to challenge President Donald Trump’s attempts to block undocumented citizens from being counted in the census. In the constitution, ACLU members argue, every person, undocumented or not, is expected to be counted in the census.
Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, and Eli Despres directed “The Fight,” which is being distributed by Magnolia Pictures and Topic Studios.
“The Fight” has enjoyed positive reviews. In her review for Variety, Amy Nicholson wrote, “Card-carrying members, or those compelled to join after watching this doc, can celebrate that this year is the ACLU’s 100th birthday, and the organization shows no sign of slowing down.”
Associated Press film critic Jake Coyle noted “the stakes are always present” and said, “what most vividly comes across in ‘The Fight’ is the never-ending nature of freedom and democracy.”