About the Project

“The Farmingville Campaign created ‘safety zones’ where people could speak honestly about what is and isn’t working as we try to integrate immigrants into civic life today.” — Daranee Petsod, Executive Director, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees

The brutal, hate-based beating of two Mexican day laborers catapulted the Long Island suburb of Farmingville into national headlines. Farmingville, directed by Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini, brings this combustible situation to the screen with an extraordinarily balanced look at the stories and opinions of the town leaders, longtime residents, day laborers, and activists. Along the way, the film exposes laws and infrastructure that are out of sync with our increasingly globalized economy, and spotlights one community’s polarized responses to our changing demographics. As tensions increased in new “gateway” communities and suburbs, Active Voice used this cautionary tale of a town in crisis to encourage policymakers, immigration advocates, and communities to work together to create positive solutions.