'Who's the We?' Reframes the Story of Immigration Through Firsthand Encounters Along the U.S.–Mexico Border

Provocative new documentary premiering on PBS stations in September follows a 66-day bicycle journey that confronts the human realities of immigration and the question of who belongs in America.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Beginning September 1, 2026, PBS stations across the country will premiere Who’s the We?, a new documentary presented by KQED that follows pastor and activist Doug Pagitt on a 66-day bicycle journey tracing the length of the U.S.–Mexico border. Released in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, the film will also be available for streaming on the PBS App and PBS.org.

Directed and produced by Clayton Brown and Kimberly Sullivan, Who’s the We? examines one of the nation’s most divisive issues through firsthand experience rather than political rhetoric. Traveling 50 to 60 miles a day through desert heat, storms, remote borderlands and dangerous roads, Pagitt and a small group of cyclists encounter migrants struggling to survive, humanitarian aid workers, border residents, and individuals with sharply opposing views on immigration and national identity. As the journey unfolds, the film becomes both a road movie and a deeper exploration of fear, faith, belonging and the meaning of “We the People.”

The journey reaches a dramatic turning point in Eagle Pass, Texas, where the riders cross paths with a Christian nationalist “Save Our Borders” convoy, bringing competing visions of America into direct conversation. Rather than presenting immigration as an abstract political debate, the film invites viewers to consider its profoundly human dimensions through personal encounters and difficult conversations.

“We began this project with a simple idea: that immigration might look different when experienced mile by mile, face to face, and from the vulnerability of a bicycle rather than from a distance through headlines, statistics, and political rhetoric,” said directors Clayton Brown and Kimberly Sullivan. “Again and again, we found that the reality on the ground was more complicated, more human, and more emotionally layered than the simplified narratives that dominate public discourse.”

Filmed across multiple states during the bicycle expedition, Who’s the We? explores immigration, nationalism, faith, political polarization, and humanitarian aid through immersive documentary filmmaking. 

KQED is the presenting station for Who’s the We?, which will air on PBS stations nationwide starting September 1, 2026 (check local listings) with streaming available on the PBS App and PBS.org. Locally, the film will premiere on Monday, September 28 at 9pm on KQED 9, and will re-air on Thursday, October 1 at 10pm on KQED Plus. 

Additionally, it will air on the WORLD channel on Monday, September 21 at 5am ET/4am CT/3am MT and 2am PT and Tuesday, September 22 at 11am ET/10am CT/9am MT/8am PT. Viewers can look up their local WORLD channel at worldchannel.org. 

The film is distributed by American Public Television (APT), the leading syndicator of high-quality programming to public television.

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Media Contact

For more information or to request a press screener, contact:

Clayton Brown — clayton@splitfocus.net
Kimberly Sullivan — kim@splitfocus.net 

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Press Materials

• Program descriptions
• Promotional assets
• Trailer

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About the Filmmakers

Clayton Brown is a documentary and narrative filmmaker whose previous co-directed documentaries—The Atom Smashers, The Believers, and We Believe in Dinosaurs—have been distributed nationally and internationally and screened at festivals worldwide. He is co-founder of Split Focus, LLC, and a professor in Northwestern University’s Radio/Television/Film program.

Kimberly Sullivan is co-founder of Split Focus, LLC. She has worked in narrative film as a set designer, sound recordist and producer, and previously served as sound recordist and additional camera on We Believe in Dinosaurs. Who’s The We? is her first co-directed documentary feature.

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About KQED Presents
KQED Presents is the national television distribution service of KQED, the San Francisco-based PBS and NPR member station. Since 1987, KQED Presents has worked with independent producers to bring the highest-quality documentary films and series to public television stations across the country. KQED Presents guides producers through the complexities of public media distribution, ensuring their programs meet all technical, editorial, and funding standards necessary for national broadcast. kqed.org/about/kqed-presents

About APT
American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations. Founded in 1961, APT distributes 250 new program titles per year and nearly one-half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. APT’s diverse catalog includes prominent documentaries, performance, dramas, how-to programs, classic movies, children’s series and news and current affairs programs. America’s Test Kitchen, The Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, The Chavis Chronicles, Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television, Doc Martin, Hope Street, Lidia’s Kitchen, Midsomer Murders, Miriam and Alan Lost in Scotland, Pati’s Mexican Table, Rick Steves’ Europe, Samantha Brown’s Places to Love, Table for All with Buki Elegbede, Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration and NHK Newsline are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service and distributes Create®TV — featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming — and WORLD™, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. More information at APTonline.org.