Past Event


Tony & Janina’s American Wedding

A Reel Progress Screening


7:00 - 9:00 PM EDT

Tony & Janina’s American Wedding is a feature-length documentary that gets to the heart of the broken, red-tape-ridden U.S. immigration system. After 18 years in America, Tony and Janina Wasilewski’s family is torn apart when Janina is deported back to Poland, taking their 6-year-old son Brian with her. Set on the backdrop of Chicago, and featuring Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez , a leading champion of immigration reform, this film follows the Wasilewski’s three-year struggle to be reunited. With a fresh perspective on the immigration conversation, this film tells the untold story of post-9/11 America and the obstacles that many immigrant face in their struggle to move from newcomer to new American.

Please join the Center for American Progress for a provocative Q&A immediately following the film.

Featured speakers:
Ruth Leitman, Writer, Producer, Director, Tony & Janina’s American Wedding
Douglas Rivlin, Press Secretary for Representative Gutierrez (IL-4)

Moderated by:
Angela Kelley, Vice President for Immigration Policy and Advocacy, Center for American Progress