a short documentary by Emma V.F.
a short documentary by Emma V.F.
The Trump administration has turned immigration courts into deportation traps. As ICE agents wait to arrest their targets outside of courtrooms, their banal conversations clash with the severity of their actions.
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Production Notes: Emma V.F. filmed WATER COOLER at New York’s Federal Plaza
between November 2025 and January 2026. She worked as a one-person crew and
openly filmed feet away from ICE agents. Thanks to the intrepid reporters and photojournalists who covered ICE detentions over the summer of 2025, the local federal agents were used to press presence by the time Emma started production that fall. By observing quietly and filming persistently, Emma was able to gain the unprecedented documentary access featured in WATER COOLER.
Photo Credit: David 'Dee' Delgado
Jury Statement:
WATER COOLER received the Oscar-qualifying Best Documentary Short award at Palm Springs International ShortFest in 2026. The jury wrote:
"This timely and provocative documentary inhabits an unnerving perspective. Juxtaposing mundanity and highly charged political and emotional layers, dissonance comes alive in a powerful and effecting way. In a short runtime, this film provides a nuanced and powerful portrait of a defining issue of our contemporary moment."