When Andre Anton, 26-year-old producer from Farmington Hills, set out to create this documentary, his hopes were to expose truth and start a movement. Now, two years later, Defying Deletion: The Fight Over Iraq's Nineveh Plains has recruited leading international figures to speak out about the travesty the Assyrian people are facing in Iraq. The film, which will make its Michigan debut March 9 at the Detroit Independent Film Festival, focuses on the little known Assyrian race in Iraq, which until now, hadn't had a voice to tell its story. "My goal is to get people talking," said Anton, of Lamassu Productions. "The Assyrians are being forced to seek refuge in foreign lands because they fear for their lives. The problem is, how do you find jobs, housing and visas for over two million people? You can't." Anton added, "It's sad to see an entire indigenous race literally dying out." Defying Deletion is an emotionally charged documentary that focuses on the ethnic cleansing, cultural genocide and religion-based targeting of the Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs). Their history is rooted deep into the northern Nineveh Plains of Iraq, but their religion is Christian, and after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, they have been the target of hatred. This documentary combines personal testimony of Assyrians who have been forced to move to other countries for refuge, and commentary from leading international figures in the Assyrian community. The second annual Detroit Independent Film Festival runs March 9-13 and includes more than 80 films. Defying Deletion will premiere at 7:30 p.m. March 9 at the Ren Cen 4 Theatre in the Renaissance Center in Detroit. For more information about the Detroit Independent Film Festival, visit detroitiff.slated.com/2011. The film will also be showing at 9:30 p.m. March 11 at the Uptown Birmingham 8 Theatre, located in downtown Birmingham, for the Uptown Film Festival. COMMENTATORS Commentators in the documentary include Alda Benjamen, associate producer of the film who shot the footage in Iraq; Peter BetBasoo, founder and director of Assyrian International News Agency; and Waleeta Canon, director of women and gender education at International Human Rights Law Institute. Also included in the film are commentators Donny George, renowned archeologist and former director general of the Iraqi National Museum; John Eibener, human rights activist and director of Christian Solidarity International; Younadam Kanna, the first and now one of the few Christian Assyrian politicians in the Iraqi Parliament; Joseph Kassab, executive director of the Chaldean Federation of America; Rosie Malek-Yonan, author of The Crimson Field, activist and cousin to Oscar Award-winning director Terrence Malick; and Michael Youash, director of the Iraqi Sustainable Democracy Project. For more information about the film, visit www.defyingdeletion.com or Facebook. Lamassu Productions is a privately held production company founded in 2005 by Anton. Born out of the need to introduce more historical and culturally diverse films in the industry, the company seeks the development and production of independent films and major motion pictures with these contexts as a basis. ABOUT ANTON Anton first became involved with filmmaking as a student at Wayne State University. He studied theater with a focus on acting and directing. He was cast in lead roles as a first- and second-year student at the Bonstelle Theatre with no prior acting experience. Within a year, he directed and produced several stage plays on the Hilberry's Studio Theatre. He sought to hone the skills that he had developed through his stage experiences for the camera by attending the Motion Picture Institute of Michigan. Since then, he has completed two narrative short films, Stalemate (2010) and Noble Fish (scheduled for release in 2011).