Few documentaries are more timely than this fast-tracked account of the Gaza protests at Columbia which inspired a wave of support across North American campuses. At the centre of this story is grad student activist Mahmoud Kahlil, who hit the headlines just last month after he was detained by ICE and who is (at time of writing) fighting a deportation order. Another prominent character in the film, Grant Miner, who is Jewish, was recently expelled by Columbia. (One of the film’s most important elements is how it shows the active role taken by many Jewish allies of Palestinians.) At a time when the right to free speech is policed with such rigour, The Encampments provides a vital opportunity to hear what the protestors have to say about Israel, Palestine, and financial accountability.
Stay tuned for upcoming screenings!
At the moment, we haven’t completed this individual’s Artist Page, but please check back regularly as our worker bees slowly chip away at the huge list of Cinema Politica artists in need of pages!
If this is your Artist Page you can submit information to us to have your page filled in, and we will happily add it to support your work.
Michael T Workman is a filmmaker whose films have screened at festivals around the world including CPH:DOX, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, IFFBoston, Sidewalk Film Festival and many more. His latest film The Encampments (2025) won the Human Rights Award Special Mention at CPH:DOX. Upon its theatrical release the film broke the box office record for the highest per-screen average for the opening weekend of a documentary. The film has since screening in hundreds of theaters around the world. It was praised by Michael Moore as “One of the best docs that I’ve seen in years.” Workman’s film Meantime (2022) won the Best Short Film Award at Telluride Mountainfilm, Best Short Documentary Award at BendFilm Festival and the Vimeo Staff Pick Award at Palm Springs ShortFest. His documentary From Parts Unknown (2018) won the Grand Jury Prize at the Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival. Workman currently serves as the board president of the only worker owned cooperative streaming platform – Means TV and he teaches documentary production at University of San Francisco.
