WATCH THE TRAILER
WHY WE MADE THIS DOCUMENTARY
THE TEST was inspired by an article in The Washington Post in 2021 highlighting a citizenship program created by residents of a senior living community in Northern Virginia to support its staff members — many of whom are immigrants — by funding the cost of applying for US citizenship and providing tutoring for the citizenship exam.
As filmmakers, we were moved by the story’s unique perspective on the topics of immigration and aging in America. While we have different professional backgrounds (Claudia works primarily in fiction, Laura chiefly in documentary) we share a similar sensibility and sense of purpose. We want to tell stories that will have a social impact, often highlighting groups that are underrepresented in the mainstream media. Immigrants and older adults are two often marginalized groups in our society. They want to feel valued and accepted, yet often feel overlooked and isolated. In this context, THE TEST celebrates a scenario where each group provides a sense of purpose, belonging, and connection to the other.
Our hope is that THE TEST can provide a powerful counter-narrative to the prevailing cynicism about immigration and aging in America.
As film professors at American University in Washington, DC, we place a high value on making films within our own community. The documentary is an outgrowth of AU's Community Voice Lab, which promotes co-creative storytelling alongside community members who are often unseen and unheard. The film was developed in close collaboration with our nonprofit partner Goodwin Living, as well as the film's lead participants, Eric Frimpong and Jill and Carl Miller. The subjects portrayed in the film are some of the most genuine, kind, and generous people we have met. We hope the audience will feel the stakes of Eric’s journey, and become as emotionally invested in the outcome as we were.
SPECIAL THANKS TO AU COMMUNITY VOICE LAB
The Community Voice Lab at American University produces documentary films that capture the voices of community storytellers too often unseen and unheard. The creative ethos of Community Voice is that of collaboration, rather than extraction, in which our filmmakers and local storytellers work together to tell stories of hope, resilience and determination for the common good. Click here to learn more.
