Nyamuon Nguany (Moon) Machar focuses her lens on the extraordinary effort made by the city of Sanford, Maine, to accommodate hundreds of asylum seekers who showed up unexpectedly one day in the spring of 2023.

Known as "the city which never dies" because of its resilience after the decline of the once-thriving textile industry, the city of Sanford responded in force at every level. City officials, community action workers, police and volunteers jumped into the fray. Where to put the new arrivals? How to feed them? The immigrants showed up on a Friday in front of Sanford City Hall, which was closed at the time. With no help from the federal or state governments, Sanford was on its own. In this new film, Moon tracks this incredible story over the course of several months as these new Mainers learn how to apply for work permits and adapt to their first winter in Maine.

This documentary follows on the heels of Moon’s initial I Come From Away where she tracked asylum seekers arriving in Portland primarily from Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moon documented the city’s response to what was considered a crisis at the time.

An Immigrant in Maine Part Two is directed by multiple EMMY winner Charles C. Stuart. The film is a production of Stuart Productions in association with Indigo Arts Alliance and the Nasson Community Little Theater.

Post-screening discussion between Nyamuon Ngyany Machar and Mufalo Chitam, Executive Director Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition.

Doors open: 5:30 pm
Program starts: 6:00 pm

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