Immigration film goes live on Kickstarter

After more than a year of preparation, the project "A Voice to be Heard" went live Monday on Kickstarter, an all-or-nothing, online fundraising platform for creative projects.

For more information and a trailer about the project, visit our Kickstarter page. 

There are rewards for each pledge, starting at $5, but more importantly I wanted to share the following personal word with Montville and Norwich residents.

In 15 years as a reporter and editor at the Norwich Bulletin, I was most amazed at the evolving story of immigration and cultural diversity that swept our neighborhoods, schools, jobs and churches. This film goes deep into the heart of a universal story — that of migration — and into the heart of a familiar but beloved story of America. Still, this is our story, and it remains full of surprises. After all, one of the consequences of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks was it prompted a wave of Chinese immigrants who lost their garment factory jobs to leave New York for Norwich and nearby casino jobs.

I'm asking for your support, however small, as a tribute to this new, historic wave of immigration. Help support a film that ultimately celebrates what is among our region's greatest strengths and shows we are a welcoming community of all races and nationalities.