Acclaimed filmmaker Thomas Miller captures the discriminatory nature of U.S. immigration policy against same-sex binational couples in his latest documentary Limited Partnership. The central foci of the feature are Filipino-American Richard Adams and his Australian husband, Tony Sullivan.
Adams and Sullivan were legally wed in Boulder, Colorado, in 1975, making them one of the first same-sex couples in the world to tie the knot under the law. However, when Sullivan needed a green card to stay in the country, the men were denied.
"At the time I started the film in 2001, there were an estimated 40,000 same-sex binational couples living in the U.S. with no way to stay together. In doing my research for the film I discovered Richard and Tony's decades-long battle to remain together. That would include immigration rights, which were one of the more than 1,400 federal rights that come with recognition of a marriage certificate," said Miller. "In learning more about Richard and Tony, I was struck by their epic love story. Despite countless obstacles thrown at them by the U.S. government, their families, their jobs and their health, they remained together for over 40 years. The government was never able to separate them."
It took over a decade to pull together the pieces to compile Limited Partnership.
"It took me over 14 years to make this film. Initially I was also following several other binational gay couples, as Richard and Tony wanted to stay out of the limelight. They were going to be the historical voice in the film due to the combination of the couple feeling that younger activists should take the lead in the fight for equality in the film and Tony being undocumented and staying out of public view," Miller said. "That changed in 2008 when California recognized same-sex marriage, and then only a few months later passed Proposition 8, stopping it. This reignited the couple's activist spirit and as Tony put it, 'What more can they do to us that hasn't been done?'"
The documentary process was not without its challenges.
"I had several unique challenges while making the film. The first one was financial, as I could not get any funding for the film from 2001-2013. I spent months of time writing grants and applying to different funders. I was almost always a finalist for everything, including ITVS five times, Sundance Documentary Fund, the Pioneer fund, Frameline, and Latino Public Broadcasting, to name a few," Miller remembered. "I also received no help from any LGBT organization, as they seemed disinterested in Richard and Tony's story. This was distressing, as I had to fund everything on my own."
Another issue was literally locating the archival footage.
"I had to search for 10 years to find and then acquire all the archival footage that is used in the film to show Richard and Tony's incredible fight for equality from the 1970s through the 1990s," Miller said. "I didn't realize what a struggle that would be, but my team did an incredible job in finding this footage."
With the Bush administration in power and immigration becoming an increasingly difficult subject post-9/11, Miller shelved the film until President Obama took office.
"The other main challenge occurred near the end of the film in dealing with Richard's lung cancer and death. This came out of the blue. His illness began just before Thanksgiving in 2012 and within two months he had died," Miller said.
The loss was felt by everyone around them.
"It was devastating to Tony and to the crew. It was a challenge on how to keep shooting knowing Richard's weakened condition and their need for privacy, yet at the same time the necessity to continue to show their story and struggle to the audience. It was definitely a balancing act that I feel we handled with dignity and still managed to portray how the two loved one another to the very end," Miller recalled.
With over 20 years of experience in filmmaking under his belt, Miller was ready for a passion project. He found it in Limited Partnership.
"I was going to make [this film] no matter how long it took, never thinking it would take over 14 years," Miller said. "I wanted to make a film that would help change the public perception of how strong a same-sex relationship is and that as President Obama has said, 'Love is love.'"
A love story is something people from all walks of life can relate to — and that was just the point.
"A love story is something that every audience, straight or gay, conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican, American or undocumented immigrant [can] relate to. Thankfully this has happened and we have won countless audience awards at mainstream, LGBT and Asian American film festivals, and the IDA Humanitas Award amongst other major awards."
Immigration is a timely subject, as U.S. voters prepare for the next presidential election in 2016.
"Thanks to the overturning of a section of the Defense of Marriage Act ( DOMA ) in 2013, LGBT couples married in one of the 39 states and the District of Columbia where same-sex marriage is legal can now file for a green card for their same-sex spouse," Miller said. "But for me, the film highlights what two people who love one another have to endure when their partner is an undocumented immigrant. Even though Richard and Tony were a gay couple, I feel this is true for any couple, straight or gay, battling this same issue. I know immigration, and probably LGBT rights, will again be two of the main issues brought up in the upcoming 2016 national presidential election."
Sullivan stood proudly alongside Miller as the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments regarding same-sex marriage on April 28, 2015.
"As Tony often states, he was the outspoken one of the couple. He was very handsome, well spoken, and vivacious with very strong ethical and social values. He was a member of NOW in the late 60s and he and Richard fought for other major issues including anti-Vietnam war, anti-nuclear and many other LGBT issues. He is also an excellent painter and craftsman," Miller said. "He is from a very prominent and very wealthy Australian family, from which he was disowned because he was gay and in the public media for so many years in the '70s and '80s fighting their legal battle in the U.S. He gave up everything—personal wealth, a career and his family to live in this country as an undocumented citizen so he could spend his life with Richard."
As for Adams, he was "very quiet, and when he spoke it was impactful with a lot of thought behind it. He was the leader of his family, with his Filipino mother and his siblings always coming to him with problems and for advice. He had a great sense of humor and was just as much an activist as Tony," Miller recalled. "In fact, Tony always says he was the only person that could keep in him line. He was totally in love with Tony."
Miller's team will present Limited Partnership to a national audience on PBS' Independent Lens series Monday, June 15. The documentary is also screening across the world. A schedule can be located here: www.limitedpartnershipmovie.com/screenings .
