Like the seagulls

Abstract

According to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the office of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the impact of the deep economic and financial crisis hitting Lebanon, the Covid 19 Pandemic and most recently the Beirut Blast are affecting migrant workers on all aspects and pushing many to the brink. Therefore, we are witnessig illegal immigration through many ways, resulting high and dangerous risks on the migrants’ lives. With the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and as a responsible filmmaker who believes that films can contribute to changes in behavior and can raise the awareness of vulnerable groups about being put in dangerous situations due to their desperate search for means of survival, the outcome of this support will be the production of a corpus consisting of 3 short films ( 3 to 4 mins each) inspired and based on the real stories and struggles faced by the migrant workers and will represent their journey. In the past years, the focus was on the stories of Syrian refugees who somehow now have the legal support of many entities and most of them have no problems in crossing the borders. The stories of migrant workers who are subject to violence, abuse and death are no more heard or seen. Each film of this project will be independent in its structure, character, story and location. However, the 3 films are connected through one solid storyline and will explore the three recurring victims of this crime: - The illegal migrant who experiences the sea - The recruiter who functions as intermediary and target these vulnerable people and sometimes go with them by boat for another destination- The family of the migrant. The genre of the three films is fiction as this can convey more the feelings of the characters to the audience. At the end of each film, a written statement by UNODC will be filling the last black frame announcing some facts and stating the direct message behind the story. These films will be used by UNODC as supporting materials to raise awareness and will be screened to their target audience. Another version of this project will result the editing of the 3 films to offer one structured short film that will be used in festivals. As a responsible filmmaker, I believe that cinema is an essential tool for the dissemination of human rights. This should be reflected through film screenings and especially to vulnerable groups where films can be used as an educative and informative tool. By producing more of these films, we can contribute to change and we can even preserve some lives. Through cinema, we are capable of making an impact as films can act as valuable catalysts for provoking questions about human rights and human safety. We are always encouraged as filmmakers to ask ourselves: What kind of message are we sharing within our arts? For me, it is the responsibility I have towards my society and towards the other human being.