Emad Burnat Detained At Customs, Michael Moore Comes To His Rescue
Officials at LAX did not believe Oscar nominee Emad Burnat was really in Los Angeles for the Academy Awards. That suspicion led to the Oscar nominee being detained at the airport along with his eight-year-old son and his wife.
During the incident, filmmaker Michael Moore took to Twitter to update his followers and attack TSA officials for their suspicion.
Moore started by tweeting:
“Emad, his wife 8-yr old son were placed in a holding area and told they didn’t have the proper invitation on them to attend the Oscars.”
Moore then continued:
“Although he produced the Oscar invite nominees receive, that wasn’t good enough he was threatened with being sent back to Palestine.”
Michael Moore then added:
“Apparently the Immigration Customs officers couldn’t understand how a Palestinian could be an Oscar nominee. Emad texted me for help.”
Here are several more Tweets from the documentary filmmaker:
I called Academy officials who called lawyers. I told Emad to give the officers my phone # and to say my name a couple of times.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 20, 2013
Moore later added:
After 1.5 hrs, they decided to release him his family told him he could stay in LA for the week go to the Oscars. Welcome to America.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 20, 2013
Apparently Emad was not startled by his detention:
“It’s nothing I’m not already used to,” he told me later. “When u live under occupation, with no rights, this is a daily occurrence.”
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 20, 2013
Emad Burnat is Oscar nominated for Best Documentary Feature thanks to his riveting film 5 Broken Cameras.
