CITIZEN ZERO
TRT 17 min, 2013

Costas Stergiou finally got a letter in the mail granting him what he’s been seeking for decades: U.S. citizenship. His daughter, Alexandra, fresh out of college, turns her camera on him in this crucial moment to learn about his journey across the Atlantic. This conversation takes them from the hard-knock streets of New York where he was radicalized, to the gilded halls of the Kings County Supreme Court where he was accepted. As father and child get to know each other, they attempt to untangle the psychic knot of dislocation, migration, and feeling like a stranger in a strange land.

Credits

Director: Alexandra Stergiou
Producer: Alexandra Stergiou
Director of Photography: Alexandra Stergiou
Editor: Alexandra Stergiou
Additional Camera and Sound Kevin Walker, Jacob Halpren
Music by Etienne Michelet

Screenings and Awards:

SF Shorts 2013
Columbus International Film and Video Festival 2013 (Winner: Chris Award in the Humanities)
Queens International Film Festival 2013
New Filmmakers NY 2013
First Run Film Festival 2013 (Winner: Best Documentary, Nominee: Wasserman Finalist, Shortlist: National Board of Review Student Award)

Available to watch on Vimeo