five years ago I found myself standing inside of a narrow hallway in the chant
inside of a narrow hallway in the chant
inside of a narrow hallway in the chant roast alle soup kitchen for Refugees
roast alle soup kitchen for Refugees
roast alle soup kitchen for Refugees located near the center of Rome an
located near the center of Rome an
located near the center of Rome an Afghan man with a small carry-on luggage
Afghan man with a small carry-on luggage
Afghan man with a small carry-on luggage in hand approached me he was wearing a
in hand approached me he was wearing a
in hand approached me he was wearing a light green dress shirts beige pants and
light green dress shirts beige pants and
light green dress shirts beige pants and could have easily been mistaken for a
could have easily been mistaken for a
could have easily been mistaken for a tourist you are a journalist he said
tourist you are a journalist he said
tourist you are a journalist he said almost in relief and certainty he began
almost in relief and certainty he began
almost in relief and certainty he began to share his story in search for a
to share his story in search for a
to share his story in search for a better life this man had left
better life this man had left
better life this man had left Afghanistan four years ago to join
Afghanistan four years ago to join
Afghanistan four years ago to join countless Afghan asylum seekers setting
countless Afghan asylum seekers setting
countless Afghan asylum seekers setting sail for Europe after reaching Greece he
sail for Europe after reaching Greece he
sail for Europe after reaching Greece he traveled to Norway to seek asylum during
traveled to Norway to seek asylum during
traveled to Norway to seek asylum during that period of time he managed to find
that period of time he managed to find
that period of time he managed to find work and go to school he became a
work and go to school he became a
work and go to school he became a nursing attendants a computer technician
nursing attendants a computer technician
nursing attendants a computer technician a DJ and a pianist whose music made the
a DJ and a pianist whose music made the
a DJ and a pianist whose music made the front page of the paper in his local
front page of the paper in his local
front page of the paper in his local City he pulled out the educational
City he pulled out the educational
City he pulled out the educational certificates and newspaper clippings
certificates and newspaper clippings
certificates and newspaper clippings from his luggage to show me by any
from his luggage to show me by any
from his luggage to show me by any standard he is a success story however
standard he is a success story however
standard he is a success story however what I learned next was anything but
what I learned next was anything but
what I learned next was anything but despite all of these achievements his
despite all of these achievements his
despite all of these achievements his asylum application was denied he ended
asylum application was denied he ended
asylum application was denied he ended up in Italy and it was only a second day
up in Italy and it was only a second day
up in Italy and it was only a second day when I met him at the time my sister and
when I met him at the time my sister and
when I met him at the time my sister and I were documenting the stories of
I were documenting the stories of
I were documenting the stories of refugees and asylum seekers in southern
refugees and asylum seekers in southern
refugees and asylum seekers in southern Europe for our project called
Europe for our project called
Europe for our project called living at the border I asked him if I
living at the border I asked him if I
living at the border I asked him if I could share his story there was a pause
could share his story there was a pause
could share his story there was a pause and he became more anxious when he
and he became more anxious when he
and he became more anxious when he answered you are like every other
answered you are like every other
answered you are like every other journalist you’ll come for my story
journalist you’ll come for my story
journalist you’ll come for my story today and disappear tomorrow to work on
today and disappear tomorrow to work on
today and disappear tomorrow to work on your next story well it’s still my
your next story well it’s still my
your next story well it’s still my reality he added that unless I could
reality he added that unless I could
reality he added that unless I could guarantee em the help he needed he was
guarantee em the help he needed he was
guarantee em the help he needed he was not going to share I was not in a
not going to share I was not in a
not going to share I was not in a position to make that promise
position to make that promise
position to make that promise I left the soup kitchen that day without
I left the soup kitchen that day without
I left the soup kitchen that day without his story and a feeling that I’d never
his story and a feeling that I’d never
his story and a feeling that I’d never experienced before
although I heard similar comments from
although I heard similar comments from other refugees questioning the impacts
other refugees questioning the impacts
other refugees questioning the impacts of their personal stories the encounter
of their personal stories the encounter
of their personal stories the encounter I had with this man was unexpected for
I had with this man was unexpected for
I had with this man was unexpected for me I was beginning to realize that
me I was beginning to realize that
me I was beginning to realize that oftentimes in the West many people are
oftentimes in the West many people are
oftentimes in the West many people are desensitized to news however these
desensitized to news however these
desensitized to news however these refugees were desensitized to
refugees were desensitized to
refugees were desensitized to journalists and the work that we do on
journalists and the work that we do on
journalists and the work that we do on that day I learned an important lesson
that day I learned an important lesson
that day I learned an important lesson that we as storytellers often forgets
that we as storytellers often forgets
that we as storytellers often forgets stories don’t end I believe that it is
stories don’t end I believe that it is
stories don’t end I believe that it is vital to explore narratives in a way
vital to explore narratives in a way
vital to explore narratives in a way that generates understanding and creates
that generates understanding and creates
that generates understanding and creates hope for one another’s journeys through
hope for one another’s journeys through
hope for one another’s journeys through storytelling our task is to expand the
storytelling our task is to expand the
storytelling our task is to expand the dialogue we have the opportunity to
dialogue we have the opportunity to
dialogue we have the opportunity to introduce our friends families
introduce our friends families
introduce our friends families communities audiences into different
communities audiences into different
communities audiences into different worlds and ideas that are often untold
worlds and ideas that are often untold
worlds and ideas that are often untold or misunderstood since that day I’ve
or misunderstood since that day I’ve
or misunderstood since that day I’ve spent the past few years documenting the
spent the past few years documenting the
spent the past few years documenting the stories of people who live on the edge
stories of people who live on the edge
stories of people who live on the edge the margins of society in 2012 I
the margins of society in 2012 I
the margins of society in 2012 I co-founded an independent production
co-founded an independent production
co-founded an independent production company called borderless films with a
company called borderless films with a
company called borderless films with a goal to create impact through
goal to create impact through
goal to create impact through storytelling my focus on the stories of
storytelling my focus on the stories of
storytelling my focus on the stories of refugees stems from a personal place my
refugees stems from a personal place my
refugees stems from a personal place my family came to Canada as refugees from
family came to Canada as refugees from
family came to Canada as refugees from Somalia in the early 90s stories have
Somalia in the early 90s stories have
Somalia in the early 90s stories have the ability to impact the way people see
the ability to impact the way people see
the ability to impact the way people see the world and themselves in the case of
the world and themselves in the case of
the world and themselves in the case of refugees there are often grouped in
refugees there are often grouped in
refugees there are often grouped in statistics and defined in numbers in
statistics and defined in numbers in
statistics and defined in numbers in mainstream media and today they’ve
mainstream media and today they’ve
mainstream media and today they’ve become a symbol of tragedy while the
become a symbol of tragedy while the
become a symbol of tragedy while the numbers are meant to show the large
numbers are meant to show the large
numbers are meant to show the large scale impact of forced migration
scale impact of forced migration
scale impact of forced migration it can also dehumanize refugees and
it can also dehumanize refugees and
it can also dehumanize refugees and desensitize audience responses to their
desensitize audience responses to their
desensitize audience responses to their suffering that’s why it is our duty as
suffering that’s why it is our duty as
suffering that’s why it is our duty as storytellers to dig deeper look for
storytellers to dig deeper look for
storytellers to dig deeper look for different perspectives and highlight the
different perspectives and highlight the
different perspectives and highlight the multiple narratives of
multiple narratives of
multiple narratives of Fuji’s so what happens when storytellers
Fuji’s so what happens when storytellers
Fuji’s so what happens when storytellers take that initiative you will find
take that initiative you will find
take that initiative you will find stories of hope in the darkest of places
stories of hope in the darkest of places
stories of hope in the darkest of places you’ll find stories that remind us we’re
you’ll find stories that remind us we’re
you’ll find stories that remind us we’re more similar than we think
more similar than we think
more similar than we think stories like Bari , yogurts housed in a
stories like Bari , yogurts housed in a
stories like Bari , yogurts housed in a former abandoned textile factory is very
former abandoned textile factory is very
former abandoned textile factory is very common yoghurt a micro income project
common yoghurt a micro income project
common yoghurt a micro income project that was created by five young refugees
that was created by five young refugees
that was created by five young refugees from Senegal Mali and Ivory Coast they
from Senegal Mali and Ivory Coast they
from Senegal Mali and Ivory Coast they sell and produce organic yogurt in Rome
sell and produce organic yogurt in Rome
sell and produce organic yogurt in Rome I spent time documenting their stories
I spent time documenting their stories
I spent time documenting their stories and I learned that these young men were
and I learned that these young men were
and I learned that these young men were part of the 2010 revolt in the farming
part of the 2010 revolt in the farming
part of the 2010 revolt in the farming fields of Rosano they were illegally
fields of Rosano they were illegally
fields of Rosano they were illegally employed as farm laborers in the town
employed as farm laborers in the town
employed as farm laborers in the town they were exploited and harassed after
they were exploited and harassed after
they were exploited and harassed after three African men were shot on the way
three African men were shot on the way
three African men were shot on the way home from work the refugees took to the
home from work the refugees took to the
home from work the refugees took to the streets these five young men ended up
streets these five young men ended up
streets these five young men ended up going to Rome and from there the founder
going to Rome and from there the founder
going to Rome and from there the founder Suleiman connected with a social hub to
Suleiman connected with a social hub to
Suleiman connected with a social hub to create bari cameo Gertz which means
create bari cameo Gertz which means
create bari cameo Gertz which means resistance in his native language of
resistance in his native language of
resistance in his native language of Bambara three years later I followed up
Bambara three years later I followed up
Bambara three years later I followed up with Suleyman and today they’re
with Suleyman and today they’re
with Suleyman and today they’re operating in a commercial building and
operating in a commercial building and
operating in a commercial building and have created more jobs for refugees
have created more jobs for refugees
have created more jobs for refugees they’ve integrated into the fabric of
they’ve integrated into the fabric of
they’ve integrated into the fabric of Italian society this is a story about
Italian society this is a story about
Italian society this is a story about what happens when refugees create their
what happens when refugees create their
what happens when refugees create their own opportunities
own opportunities
own opportunities my recent observational documentary film
my recent observational documentary film
my recent observational documentary film called 19 days that was produced by the
called 19 days that was produced by the
called 19 days that was produced by the National Film Board of Canada is a
National Film Board of Canada is a
National Film Board of Canada is a window into the lives of refugee
window into the lives of refugee
window into the lives of refugee families first few weeks in Canada over
families first few weeks in Canada over
families first few weeks in Canada over 11,000 refugees have walked through the
11,000 refugees have walked through the
11,000 refugees have walked through the doors of the Margaret Chisholm
doors of the Margaret Chisholm
doors of the Margaret Chisholm resettlement center in Calgary Alberta
resettlement center in Calgary Alberta
resettlement center in Calgary Alberta since 1994 this unique facility was
since 1994 this unique facility was
since 1994 this unique facility was designed in the form of a house to ease
designed in the form of a house to ease
designed in the form of a house to ease the transition of refugees up to 70
the transition of refugees up to 70
the transition of refugees up to 70 refugee families lived there for 19 days
refugee families lived there for 19 days
refugee families lived there for 19 days and during that time they’re given a
and during that time they’re given a
and during that time they’re given a crash course into Canadian society from
crash course into Canadian society from
crash course into Canadian society from learning about education to how to open
learning about education to how to open
learning about education to how to open a bank accounts and healthcare
from a Burundian family that has spent
from a Burundian family that has spent their entire lives in a refugee camp to
their entire lives in a refugee camp to
their entire lives in a refugee camp to an urban refugee family from Syria this
an urban refugee family from Syria this
an urban refugee family from Syria this film shows you the human side of the
film shows you the human side of the
film shows you the human side of the refugee resettlement process and the
refugee resettlement process and the
refugee resettlement process and the many phases of the global migration
many phases of the global migration
many phases of the global migration crisis our goal for this documentary was
crisis our goal for this documentary was
crisis our goal for this documentary was to advance the dialogue on how we can
to advance the dialogue on how we can
to advance the dialogue on how we can create more inclusive societies for
create more inclusive societies for
create more inclusive societies for refugees in our world like the Afghan
refugees in our world like the Afghan
refugees in our world like the Afghan refugee the young men from Bari common
refugee the young men from Bari common
refugee the young men from Bari common yogurts and the refugee families on
yogurts and the refugee families on
yogurts and the refugee families on their new journey in Canada as you can
their new journey in Canada as you can
their new journey in Canada as you can see everyone has a unique story and
see everyone has a unique story and
see everyone has a unique story and everyone evolves and that should be
everyone evolves and that should be
everyone evolves and that should be respected when documenting their stories
respected when documenting their stories
respected when documenting their stories as storytellers and media consumers we
as storytellers and media consumers we
as storytellers and media consumers we must realize that stories do not end
must realize that stories do not end
must realize that stories do not end when the camera is turned off and the
when the camera is turned off and the
when the camera is turned off and the interview is finished stories have the
interview is finished stories have the
interview is finished stories have the ability to shape who we are they can
ability to shape who we are they can
ability to shape who we are they can inspire us rebuild us or in some cases
inspire us rebuild us or in some cases
inspire us rebuild us or in some cases as we all know stories have the
as we all know stories have the
as we all know stories have the potential to harm and if we’re lucky
potential to harm and if we’re lucky
potential to harm and if we’re lucky some stories can leave a lasting impact
some stories can leave a lasting impact
some stories can leave a lasting impact on our own lives thank you
”
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