ARTIST & SPECIAL COMMENT

Yusuf W.M. Kumbang at first week old.

y name is Machyar Kumbang.  Like many before me, I came to these shores as a refugee, a political refugee to be exact.  The purpose of this movie is to share my "take" on the United States Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson.  I want to explore in particular how the declaration affects my new-born son Yusuf. To become an American I worked very hard.  It took me fourteen long years before I took the oath as a naturalized United States citizen, while my son did not have to do a thing. He's been a citizen ever since he was born. Therefore, I want him to understand and not take for granted what the founding fathers had put together. At the same time, as the nation matures I welcome a broader interpretation to another revolutionary document - the Constitution which helps the governance of the nation to become "more" perfected over time. I touch on a few issues that all new U.S. citizens can appreciate: personal liberty, freedom, and democracy.  These are all beautiful concepts in their own right.

What makes the declaration so special?  Shouldn't all members of Congress be required to memorize (word-for-word) the whole content of the Nation's most sacred text? The declaration is very brief - fewer than 1,400 words.  The original document is well preserved at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Many immigrants who came to this country had to give up a lot, myself included. I have not seen my family for over fourteen years now. It is hard.  I miss them.  I think of them every single day.

What makes immigrants willing to give up so much to come to this country? Why do they need to understand how the United States of America came about in the first place? Immigrants have made the United States emerge as a super power. Though the immigration debate continues: who to let in and how to manage millions of illegal immigrants who are already in the country.

This movie is inspired by the issues and questions above. I hope my personal experiences presented in this movie will encourage all of us to talk more about our common hope as citizens of the United States of America, the country we are all proud of.