Chris Buckley is a father, veteran, and a former leader of the KKK living in rural Georgia. Following concern from his wife, Buckley receives help from an extremist group interventionist. Despite his renunciation of the KKK, Buckley retains a deep prejudice against Muslims, stemming largely from the 9/11 attacks and his experiences in the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Chris' long-held beliefs are challenged when Dr. Heval Kelli, a cardiologist and Kurdish refugee living in the resettlement community of Clarkston, Georgia, reaches out to him. Dr. Kelli believes that he must do what he can to quell the rising, hateful rhetoric of white nationalism that threatens his diverse community of refugees who have fled persecution and violence for a better life in America. He takes it upon himself to try to understand Chris and others like him. An unlikely relationship develops. Will Chris overcome his hate? Will Dr. Kelli find what he is seeking? What's possible when we are willing to face hate with humanity?
Din Blankenship is an architectural designer turned filmmaker based in Birmingham, AL. Her first documentary, REFUGE premiered at DOC NYC in 2021 where it was awarded Special Mention in the U.S. Competition and was a nominee for the Grand Jury Prize. Since its world premiere, REFUGE has won numerous film festival awards including Best Documentary Feature. Prior to filmmaking, Din worked in architecture for over a decade. She has a Masters in Architecture with High Distinction from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia. In 2021, Din founded Late Bloomer Films and is in pre-production on 'Love, Your Birth Mom,' a feature length documentary that follows several women with unplanned pregnancies who are considering adoption. Each will ultimately decide whether to raise their children or place them into the arms of another family.
