Film explores both sides of refugee issue
Vancouver director presents perspectives of migrants and a border guard to show complexities
If you haven’t yet decided on weekend plans do yourself a favour and make time for the Vancouver Short Film Festival (VSFF).
On at the Vancity Theatre Jan. 25-26 the VFSS is a great way to pack a lot of stories into just a couple of hours.
Vancouver resident Anaïsa Visser’s new film Bordered, a fictional 15-minute short film that looks at the refugee issue through the eyes of a pair of Syrian women and an American border guard is one of the 39 films on this year’s VSFF roster.
Recently Visser took some time away from travels in Pakistan to answer our email Q&A.
QWhy did you want to make Bordered? What inspired you?
ASince 2015 when I became increasingly aware of the refugee crisis in Europe, I’ve felt so powerless. I wanted to use my skills as a storyteller to try to process some of the complex emotions surrounding how refugees are commonly perceived in western nations. I decided to set the story specifically after the first iteration of Trump’s Muslim ban. I had seen video interviews of refugees out east who had braved the cold and risked their lives to come to Canada, and wanted to capture that feeling of being willing to do anything to find a place to call home. I have lived in many places, and have experienced some of the common issues associated with displacement, culture shock, and language barriers.
QWhat did you learn about the current refugee situation from making this film?
AMaking this film required a significant amount of research, and I learned a lot. I watched many videos about families learning to integrate in their new countries, and how difficult that is. Getting to a safe place is actually just one step in a lifelong process of adapting and assimilating. These people come from skilled backgrounds in trades that are sometimes irrelevant in their new countries. Their higher education isn’t as useful when they don’t speak the language. Basically, getting to Canada is really just the tip of the iceberg for people like Samira and Fatima in the film.
I also learned a bit about the religious differences in Syria and how those can cause tension between refugees and between host countries and refugees.
Middle Eastern politics have a long and complex history, and sadly I don’t predict there will be a conclusion to the conflict anytime soon. What I hope is to live to see the world really step up to take care of those whose nations and homes are destroyed by international conflict.
QAt the heart of the film is a U.S. border guard who has a lot of issues to face himself. Can you tell me about this character and what you hope he conveys?
AOne of the things I wanted to do with Bordered was create a film in which I portray a problem with multiple sides. There is no good or evil in this story: these people simply don’t understand each other. I created a character whose perception of refugees is clouded by patriotism, but also by trauma. Ultimately, both Ray and the refugees have seen horrors and experienced things no one should have to. And that becomes where they connect — in the intimate knowledge of what violence does to people, of what it feels like to lose hope in humanity altogether. I hope that Ray’s character speaks to the viewers who may not feel they fully understand other cultures or religions. Ultimately we don’t need to know much about any of those things — we only need to glimpse how damaging warfare and violence is in order to connect with refugees.
QVancouver has been home since 2009 but before that you have lived all around the world. How has that travel informed you as a filmmaker/ writer?
AMy father is Mozambican of Pakistani decent and my Mother is Dutch. My mother’s family moved to Africa in the 70s, and have worked in developing nations ever since. In 2000, we moved to Florida temporarily where my mother pursued her PhD at Florida State University. While there, my parents broke up. My mother’s second husband is French, so when she married him we moved to France, where I went to high school. In 2009 I moved to Canada to pursue my bachelors at Emily Carr University, and have been in Vancouver ever since.
My work has definitely been informed by my exposure to many cultures and lifestyles. My interests in human rights and welfare is rooted in having been an immigrant, repeatedly, and having a culturally diverse family. I am fuelled by a deep frustration with those who cannot see that humans are all worthy of basic human rights and decency, regardless of where they are from, what their ethnic background is or what their beliefs are.
QWhat do you like about the short film format?
AI love how quickly we get to see the results! I’m working on writing a feature and it’s a much, much slower process. I’m thinking years into the future rather than months. Making any film requires time and dedication, but with a short your turnaround is quick so you have the satisfaction of having a product much sooner. Another aspect I like is that shorts are just bursts of ideas and thoughts. You’re not trying to spoon feed your audience a whole complex story — you’re just giving them a small taste and letting them take it from there.
QWhat do you hope viewers of Bordered take away from the movie?
AIdeally this film will make people think about how they perceive other people — specifically those who are different from them. On the one hand, it sounds cliché. On the other, clearly we still need to tell these stories, because people continue to discriminate and hate without understanding each other. For viewers in North America, maybe also a gentle reminder that while we are not close to the Middle East, the conflict there has effects all over the world.