War in Iraq, genocide, religious targeting and ethnic cleansing are topics to be unveiled

DETROIT, Mich. (February 23, 2011) – When André Anton, 26-year-old producer from Farmington Hills of Lamassu Productions, set out to create this documentary, his hopes were to expose truth and start a movement. Now, two years later, Defying Deletion: The Fight Over Iraq’s Nineveh Plains has recruited leading international figures to speak out about the travesty the Assyrian people are facing in Iraq.
The film, which will make its Michigan debut at the Detroit Independent Film Festival on March 9, focuses on the little recognized Assyrian race in Iraq, which until now, hadn’t had a voice to tell their story.
“My goal is to get people talking,” said Anton. “The Assyrians are being forced to seek refuge in foreign lands because they fear for their lives. The problem is – how do you find jobs, housing and visas for over 2 million people? You can’t.”
Anton continued, “It’s sad to see an entire indigenous race literally dying out.”
Defying Deletion is an emotionally charged documentary that focuses on the ethnic cleansing, cultural genocide and region-based targeting of the Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs). Their history is rooted deep into the northern Nineveh Plains of Iraq, but their religion is Christian, and after the US led invasion in 2003, they have been the target of hatred.
This documentary combines personal testimony of Assyrians who have been forced to move to other countries for refuge, and commentary from leading international figures in the Assyrian community.
The 2nd annual Detroit Independent Film Festival runs March 9 through 13 and includes more than 80 films. Defying Deletion will premiere on March 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Ren Cen 4 Theatre in the Renaissance Center in Detroit. For more information about the Detroit International Film Festival, visit detroitiff.slated.com/2011.