The Kindness of Strangers. Take Two

I have to share this story since it was a MAJOR gain for my partner and me today, so I hope it makes you want to stand up and give someone a high five like it did us.

One of the hard things about all of our cases this semester is getting the good, solid corroborating evidence that is needed to back up a client's case. It's important in any client representation, not just asylum cases. But the method of obtaining this kind of information is doubly as difficult when most of it is sitting soundly in your client's country of origin. Or in the brains of experts who we don't know and don't know us. Or it just doesn't exist. We've sent email after email to people asking if they would speak to us, answer questions, be a resource and we've come up empty each time (though we're not above stalking people, and frankly, that's what it's coming to and we're ok with that).

Today we had a meeting with one of my partner's friends who spent the summer in Rwanda working for a group called Voices of Rwanda and had the opportunity to witness some of the Gacaca court proceedings while he was there. The Gacaca court proceedings are central to our client's case, so we've been working to learn as much about them, the good and bad, the critiques on the system, the impact on communities and get real feedback from people who have witnessed them and studied them to help solidify our argument for our client. My partner's friend gave us great information, photos and video clips he took, and recommended that we see a documentary that was made in 2006 called In The Tall Grass that revolves around these trials.

After the meeting we continued to research and work, and I started exploring methods by which to obtain a copy of this film. Not available on Netflix. Not in our library or the libraries I could find in DC. The website lists a few different organizations that reportedly were selling the video, so I clicked on each one. I think two of the 5 links worked. So I started making phone calls as there was no information on either website indicating that they were indeed selling this video. Here's the scenario of the first phone call:

Phone is ringing. It's picked up by what I assume is the receptionist and I say the following: "Hello, I'm calling because I'm looking for a copy of In the Tall Grass and I was told that your organization was selling copies of this documentary" to which the receptionist replies: "Uh, I don't know that film, and I'm pretty sure we're not selling it and never have, but let me connect you to the woman who would know" "Thank you so much" I respond. I'm transfered to a line and it rings a couple of times. At this point, I'm pretty sure I'm being screened, but regardless, I know I can leave a message. The voicemail picks up and this is what it says:
"Hello, you have reached XXXXXX. I appreciate your call and will be working in EUROPE UNTIL JUNE 2008. For urgent matters, please call my European number at xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx. Thank you."

Umm. Am I insane or was I totally just given a huge f*ck you by the receptionist? With that lead in the toilet I then call organization number two, which I now am seriously in love with. I give the same spiel to the receptionist there and she cheerily connects me to someone else, who actually answers the phone. My (well rehearsed, at this point) speech is then given to her and she says "OOHH man, that's a toughie. I've definitely heard of the documentary but we actually never sell them, but you know, let me connect you with Gwen in Media, I bet she will be able to give you some ideas!" "Great! Thanks!" "Oh, and if you're cut off, here's her extension. Just call her back directly. She's great and will definitely help you!" So I wait as I'm being connected and another receptionist picks up. "Hi, can you please connect me to Gwen, my name is DisgruntledLawStudent" to which this nice lady immediately says sure! and connects me. When Gwen picks up I tell her my deal again and she confirms that the film is FANTASTIC but that they were not selling it. BUT! instead of hanging up, she put me on hold so she could try and find a contact number of someone who could help me! When she came back on she was apologetic saying she didn't have the information she thought she did, reiterated how sorry she was, suggested a few different routes, wished me luck and we said out goodbyes. Dear Gwen, thank you for not being a complete a**hole.

So. One of the routes she suggested was amazon.com since apparently a lot of documentaries that are not released end up there. So I go onto amazon and find that they DO have a copy and they're selling this one hour documentary for the reasonable price of....$99.00. You've got to be kidding. We cannot afford that! Feeling more and more deflated, my partner and I consult and talk out our options. I decided that I had done too much already to just give up, so I decided to find out who made it and email him directly.

So I did some more research and found the name and email of the director/producer and wrote an email basically explaining our situation, describing the importance of the video, the fact it was being hocked for a hundred bucks on amazon and asking him to help us. I also threw in a request that he let us call and ask him specific questions since he had spent so much time observing the process. I mean, it can't hurt, right? What is one more ignored request to add to a quickly growing pile.

About 4 minutes later my google mail popped up with a new email. It was none other than the lovely director who said he would be happy to send us a free copy, to chat with us etc and that it would "be best to talk before Feb. 13, since I'll be in Haiti after that...".

YES!

Here is the letter back to him I immediately composed in my head and edited before I sent it: Dear Mr. Metcalfe. You are delightful and kind and have reaffirmed my faith in humanity. Wanna get married? But don't answer that till after Valentine's day. You might jinx our happy life together.

Anyway. The point of this very long story is this folks: A) it never hurts to ask; B) not everybody sucks; C) Stick with the bleeding heart humanitarians and not the academics and things will be just fine.

High fives all around...