Court TV’s N.Y. premiere of the original film Chasing Freedom left its star-studded audience visibly moved. The profound story, based on true events, depicts the horrors of life in Afghanistan, particularly for women, under the repressive control of the Taliban. “Meena” (Layla Alizada) is a 26-year-old Afghan woman who has fled to America to save her own life after authorities at home discover her underground efforts to teach reading and writing to neighborhood women. “Libby” (Juliette Lewis) is an ambitious New York lawyer who finds herself caught up in the quagmire of illegal immigration after taking on a pro-bono political asylum case. Chairman & CEO Henry Schleiff had this to say: “There are hundreds of “Meena’s” in the world, whose lives and families are in danger and who desperately need the protection that the United States and others can provide. Still, as the attacks of September 11 underscored, it is essential that we balance national security against the need to provide asylum.”

After the credits rolled, the hushed crowd reassembled at The Grill, located inside the exclusive Reebok Sports Club, next door to the theater. We spotted Alan Alda, Sigourney Weaver, Regis and Joy Philbin, and FOX News Channel’s Rita Cosby. Also on hand: Court TV anchors Catherine Crier, Nancy Grace, Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom, Lisa Bloom, Vinnie Politan, and Fred Graham.

How did cast members feel about filming such a gripping and timely topic? Juliette Lewis told The Sheet that she found her role extremely challenging, was drawn deeply into the part, and was overwhelmed with compassion for Afghan women repressed by the former regime. Layla Alizada, originally from Afghanistan, revealed that she had escaped her homeland before the Taliban’s rise to power; it was an unnerving experience, she said, to enact a situation that could very well have ended her own life.

We at The Sheet applaud Court TV for producing a strong piece of evidence for the world court of public opinion, sure to make an impact in the fight for justice and human rights.