Directed and written by Spencer Cohen, the comedy indie film The Compatriots will be released digitally on VOD in the US and Canada on September 16.
Starring in the film are Rafael Silva (Don’t Look Up) and Denis Shepherd (Paradise Lost) alongside Dakota Lustick (Dexter: New Blood, The Holdovers), Caroline Portu (Love, Weddings & Other Disasters), Jaison Hunter (Wu-Tang: An American Saga), and Brandon Grimes (PansyVision).
A nuanced portrayal of immigration, friendship, and LGBTQIA+ experiences, The Compatriots follows Javi (Rafael Silva), an undocumented immigrant facing deportation, who unexpectedly reunites with his estranged best friend Hunter (Denis Shepherd), a vivacious bachelor seeking deeper connections. Together, they embark on a heartfelt journey to prevent Javi’s expulsion from the only country he has ever called home.
The Compatriotsoffers audiences an intimate look at the personal struggles faced by undocumented immigrants, particularly those who arrived as children and face deportation to countries they don’t remember, and was inspired by Cohen’s best friend Alberto Sayan, a Dreamer from Peru whom Cohen met during middle school in Natick, MA.
The film’s release also coincides with Citizen Day in the United States (Sept 17, 2025) and highlights the continuing relevance and resonance of stories about immigration, identity, and belonging in American cinema.
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