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Raed Saleh, the leader of the White Helmets, and
cinematographer Khaled Khatib have both obtained visas to travel
to the United States for the Feb. 26 Academy Award ceremony in
Los Angeles, producer Joanna Natasegara said.
"They both have valid visas. We remain cautious about the
physical part of entering the country. Things had been very
unclear until this point, but we are now being told they are
welcome to enter," Natasegara said.
"The White Helmets are among the most inspiring humanitarians we
have ever known, and it is the greatest honor to share a global
platform where their incredible work can be recognized.... In
these uncertain times, their story is one of the most moving of
our generation," she added in a joint statement with director
Orlando von Einsiedel.
"The White Helmets," nominated in the Oscars short subject
documentary category, gives a glimpse of the daily lives of the
civilian Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets,
whose members volunteer as rescue workers in the war-ravaged
country.
"It is important that people understand that Syria has people
who want the same things they want: peace, jobs, family, and to
live without the fear of bombs. This is what I hope the film
does," Khatib said in a statement on Friday.
Last month it looked as if the Syrian filmmakers would be unable
to get to the Oscars because of Trump's executive order that
barred entry to the United States for citizens from Iran, Iraq,
Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days.
U.S appeals court judges last week blocked Trump's travel ban,
but the Republican president has said he plans to issue a new
order soon.
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi and actress Taraneh Alidoosti,
who stars in his foreign-language nominated film "The Salesman,"
have said they will boycott the Academy Awards to protest
Trump's travel restrictions.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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