While researching his 2022 hit film Elvis, director Baz Luhrmann searched for lost footage of The King to use in the film. What he found was a treasure trove of unseen footage from Elvis Presley's early '70s residencies in Las Vegas, as well as hours of interviews in which he discussed his creative process in depth.

The 35mm and 8mm footage was discovered in the Warner Bros. archives, buried deep in a salt mine in Kansas. Underground salt mines are great for film preservation because they have stable temperatures and humidity, which allow long-term storage that prevents deterioration.

Luhrmann took the footage and crafted a concert film, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, featuring the King at the peak of his post-'68 comeback era, before drugs, overeating, the burdens of superstardom, and his divorce from Lisa Marie Presley turned him into a caricature of his old self. Yes, Elvis may have entered his flashy jumpsuit era, but his moves, voice, humor, and charisma are all in full form. The film is unique in that it combines never-before-seen rehearsal footage narrated by Elvis, offering rare insights and openness that the public has never seen.

"This is the most unexpected film that ever happened to me," Luhrmann told viewers ahead of a special preview screening at the IMAX theatre in Sydney, Australia. "We thought 'let's just get out of the way … What if Elvis just told you his story?'"

Here's the trailer:

- YouTube www.youtube.com

The film showcases amazing talent as a performer, but has an intimate quality that sets it apart from a simple concert film. "What if Elvis came to you in a dreamscape, almost like a cinematic poem, and sang to you and told you his story in a way in which you haven't experienced before?" Luhrmann wrote in his director's note for the IMAX screening.

The film incorporates July 1970 rehearsal footage of him preparing for his third appearance at the International Hotel, showing how Elvis could be both an incredible perfectionist and charming with his friends and bandmates.

The concert footage shows blistering, amped up versions of old hits such as "Hound Dog" and "That's Alright," as well as rehearsal footage of him singing Beatles songs, "Something" and "Yesterday." The film also shows his first performance of "Burning Love," a song so fresh that Elvis has to read the lyrics as he sings. The film ends with a grandiose version of the 1969 hit, "Suspicious Minds."

"The film looks and sounds incredible. Peter Jackson's team, who carefully restored Beatles footage in Get Back, worked their magic here to bring Elvis back in vivid glory," Andy Howell writes at Film Threat. "In fact, a better title would have been Elvis Lives, because this footage is so beautiful and clear, and the film is so intimate, that it seems like this was shot yesterday and we're having a conversation with him."

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert arrives in theaters for a one-week IMAX engagement starting February 20, followed by a global theatrical release on February 27.

In March 2023, after months of preparation and paperwork, Anita Omary arrived in the United States from her native Afghanistan to build a better life. Once she arrived in Connecticut, however, the experience was anything but easy.

“When I first arrived, everything felt so strange—the weather, the environment, the people,” Omary recalled. Omary had not only left behind her extended family and friends in Afghanistan, she left her career managing child protective cases and supporting refugee communities behind as well. Even more challenging, Anita was five months pregnant at the time, and because her husband was unable to obtain a travel visa, she found herself having to navigate a new language, a different culture, and an unfamiliar country entirely on her own.

“I went through a period of deep disappointment and depression, where I wasn’t able to do much for myself,” Omary said.

Then something incredible happened: Omary met a woman who would become her close friend, offering support that would change her experience as a refugee—and ultimately the trajectory of her entire life.

Understanding the journey

Like Anita Omary, tens of thousands of people come to the United States each year seeking safety from war, political violence, religious persecution, and other threats. Yet escaping danger, unfortunately, is only the first challenge. Once here, immigrant and refugee families must deal with the loss of displacement, while at the same time facing language barriers, adapting to a new culture, and sometimes even facing social stigma and anti-immigrant biases.

Welcoming immigrant and refugee neighbors strengthens the nation and benefits everyone—and according to Anita Omary, small, simple acts of human kindness can make the greatest difference in helping them feel safe, valued, and truly at home.

A warm welcome

Dee and Omary's son, Osman

Anita Omary was receiving prenatal checkups at a woman’s health center in West Haven when she met Dee, a nurse.

“She immediately recognized that I was new, and that I was struggling,” Omary said. “From that moment on, she became my support system.”

Dee started checking in on Omary throughout her pregnancy, both inside the clinic and out.

“She would call me and ask am I okay, am I eating, am I healthy,” Omary said. “She helped me with things I didn’t even realize I needed, like getting an air conditioner for my small, hot room.”

Soon, Dee was helping Omary apply for jobs and taking her on driving lessons every weekend. With her help, Omary landed a job, passed her road test on the first attempt, and even enrolled at the University of New Haven to pursue her master’s degree. Dee and Omary became like family. After Omary’s son, Osman, was born, Dee spent five days in the hospital at her side, bringing her halal food and brushing her hair in the same way Omary’s mother used to. When Omary’s postpartum pain became too great for her to lift Osman’s car seat, Dee accompanied her to his doctor’s appointments and carried the baby for her.

“Her support truly changed my life,” Omary said. “Her motivation, compassion, and support gave me hope. It gave me a sense of stability and confidence. I didn’t feel alone, because of her.”

More than that, the experience gave Omary a new resolve to help other people.

“That experience has deeply shaped the way I give back,” she said. “I want to be that source of encouragement and support for others that my friend was for me.”

Extending the welcome

Omary and Dee at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Vision Awards ceremony at the University of New Haven.

Omary is now flourishing. She currently works as a career development specialist as she continues her Master’s degree. She also, as a member of the Refugee Storytellers Collective, helps advocate for refugee and immigrant families by connecting them with resources—and teaches local communities how to best welcome newcomers.

“Welcoming new families today has many challenges,” Omary said. “One major barrier is access to English classes. Many newcomers, especially those who have just arrived, often put their names on long wait lists and for months there are no available spots.” For women with children, the lack of available childcare makes attending English classes, or working outside the home, especially difficult.

Omary stresses that sometimes small, everyday acts of kindness can make the biggest difference to immigrant and refugee families.

“Welcome is not about big gestures, but about small, consistent acts of care that remind you that you belong,” Omary said. Receiving a compliment on her dress or her son from a stranger in the grocery store was incredibly uplifting during her early days as a newcomer, and Omary remembers how even the smallest gestures of kindness gave her hope that she could thrive and build a new life here.

“I built my new life, but I didn’t do it alone,” Omary said. “Community and kindness were my greatest strengths.”

Like Anita Omary, tens of thousands........

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