"As Americans, there are many things in life that we take for granted, misunderstand, or deny. It can be easy to undervalue our advantages and thus feel justified in exercising the power of being able to deny the same opportunities to those who were not, literally, born to privilege. In a necessary commentary that forces a critical eye on the land of the free and the home of the brave, the film Well-Founded Fear causes us to do what is uniquely human: think.

The film documents the process refugees must go through if they attempt to apply for political asylum in the United States. The viewer not only hears the stories of those who have fled their countries due to persecution, prejudice and a myriad of other injustices, but also glimpses into the duties of Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) officers who must determine the verity of the cases. These officers hold lives in their hands, and their decisions have an incredible impact on millions of people every year. The real job of these officers: to determine if people seeking asylum are indeed under the U.S. Law's definition of refugee and thus have come to the U.S. on a well-founded fear.

Saying that this film is a look behind the scenes of the INS would be an understatement. The situations are real, the characters are raw and remarkably candid, and the outside commentary is limited. Not only is it shocking to hear the comments that were caught on film, but also to see the dynamics between the asylum officers and those seeking asylum. There are not clear-cut protagonists and antagonists in terms of the immigrants verses the officers and vice versa, which makes the film all the more powerful. It gives the viewer the ability to decide for themselves what is going on, by taking into consideration the stories and commentary from both sides of the process. There are no side commentaries from the documenters attempting to pull the audience's sympathies towards one direction or another: Well-Founded Fear is truly unique.

The stories of those seeking political asylum are at times haunting, and during others unconvincing. The viewer begins guessing who is telling the truth and who is not, essentially playing the role of the asylum officers. Despite the apparent authenticity behind their stories of oppression and persecution, the asylum officers note that the stories tend to be the same. The fact remains that they are feasible and thus one must wonder if a grave injustice is being made whenever someone is sent back to the place that caused the fear great enough to bring them to the U.S. in search of asylum. The trials these people must go through, especially with the officers, is enough to make you grateful for the fact that you are both in the country and allowed to be here. During a nervous interview where refugees must recount dates and details that may have occurred 15 years ago, all via the mercy of a translator, one must wonder if these people are really given a fair chance to plead their cases.

On the other side of the table, there are the asylum officers. As the film demonstrates, not all officers are created equal. Some grapple with the weight of their jobs, while others find the people they deal with on a daily basis to be little more than an annoyance. Cynicism is ripe and abound for most of these officers. The viewer sees the range of cynicism in the officers, from beyond the point of no return to still wanting to be saved.

Although this film may be a bit dated considering it was made before 9/11 and many things have changed since then in terms of national security and immigration, the importance of its message does not diminish. The fact that this film was able to be made is remarkable; its unfiltered contents do not lose their candor with time."