The footage for the video was shot in May and June of 2016 while I was at the artist residency Die Kolonie in Worpswede, Germany. During that time, I was meeting with refugees most of who had arrived in Germany in October and November 2015. In addition, I met with various organizations, volunteers and activists who were trying to ease the many difficulties these newly arrived people experienced on a daily basis.
During meetings with people for this project, no conversations were recorded in audio or video. I took notes during off-camera interviews, but the main goal was to allow each individual to react to my and the camera's presence without having to formulate a response or a particular narrative. The material presented in this trailer is a testimony to each and every person I met on my way and their long, frustrating, but always hopeful path to a new life in a foreign country.
This collaborative project is an audio-visual response to one of the most challenging crises of our times which threatens nations, individuals and our empathy towards those displaced. Refuge premiered at the Los Angeles Underground Film Forum in October 2016. You can watch the whole short film here.
