Request to NARA for all references to 1986 Oliver Stone film "Salvador" in State Department documents
| Tracking # |
R 24-63501 |
| Submitted | Aug. 22, 2024 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Brett Carollo
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
Any and all references to the 1986 movie "Salvador," directed by Oliver Stone, in State Department records from the era (approximately 1983-1988). This would include all communications between the State Dept. and the cast, crew, and production company of "Salvador."
I am the Director of Research Operations at a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called The Decoding Culture Foundation. These documents will be used for public education and research purposes. I therefore request a waiver of all fees that may otherwise apply. Attached is a document with organization letterhead confirming my position, as well as the organization's 501(c)(3) application and approval form.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Brett Carollo
From:
This is an automated reply to inform you that the National Archives and Records Administration received your email.
We have received your request and you will receive a response within 20 working days. Please note that submitting duplicate requests will increase wait times.
If you have any questions, you can call our office at 301-837-3190. You can also visit our web page at www.archives.gov/research/foia.
Thank you.
From: National Archives And Records Administration – Archival Or Special Access
Dear Mr. Carollo:
This is in response to your August 22, 2024, Freedom of Information Act
request (R 24-63501) for any and all references to the 1986 movie
"Salvador," directed by Oliver Stone, in State Department records from the
era (approximately 1983-1988), including all communications between the
Department of state and the cast, crew, and production company of
"Salvador." We received your request on August 27.
You asked for a waiver of the fees normally charged for providing
researchers with copies of archival records. The fee and fee waiver
provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), however, do not apply
to archival records. The FOIA fee section states that "Nothing in this
subparagraph shall supersede fees chargeable under a statute specifically
providing for setting the level of fees for particular types of records."
[5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4)(vi)]. Accordingly, the NARA fee statute, 44 U.S.C.
2116(c), and implementing regulations at 36 C.F.R. Part 1258, apply
exclusively to your request, under which the National Archives does not
waive reproduction charges for individual requesters. Our inability to
grant you the requested fee waiver does not constitute a denial for the
purposes of the FOIA.
The only Department of state records that avail themselves of the type of
search you seek are those found in the Central Foreign Policy File. The
Central Foreign Policy File records dated 1980 and later remain in the
custody of the Department of State. You must file a Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) request directly with the Department to request access to
records in its custody.
We do not consider this response a denial under the Freedom of Information
Act because the records in our custody do not include the information you
requested
This concludes the processing of your request.
If you are not satisfied with our action on this request, your options for
appeal and dispute resolution are as follows:
You have the right to file an administrative appeal in writing via regular
U.S. mail or email. Your appeal should be received within ninety (90)
calendar days from the date of this letter and it should explain why you
believe this response does not meet the requirements of the Freedom of
Information Act. Please address it to the Deputy Archivist of the United
States (ND), National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi
Road, College Park, Maryland 20740. Both the letter and the envelope
should be clearly marked “Freedom of Information Act Appeal.” You may also
submit your appeal to FOIA@nara.gov also addressed to the Deputy Archivist.
All correspondence should reference your internal case tracking number
noted above.
In addition to your right to file an administrative appeal with the Deputy
Archivist, you may seek assistance from our FOIA Public Liaison, Rebecca
Calcagno. Contact information for the FOIA Public Liaison at the National
Archives, Washington DC area is as follows:
Accessioned Executive Branch Agency Records - Washington, DC Area
FOIA Public Liaison: Rebecca Calcagno
8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500
College Park, MD 20740-6001
Telephone: 301-837-3190
Email: DC.foia.liaison@nara.gov
You may also contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS),
the Federal FOIA Ombudsman’s office, for assistance. OGIS offers mediation
services to help resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal
agencies. The contact information for OGIS is:
Office of Government Information Services
National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road–OGIS
College Park, MD 20740-6001
Phone: 202-741-5770 or 1-877-684-6448
Email: ogis@nara.gov
Sincerely,
DAVID A. LANGBART
Research Services
National Archives at College Park (Archives II)
david.langbart@nara.gov
www.archives.gov
RR2RR 24-63501