Rob Munday
In recent years, we’ve seen a deluge of refugee documentaries cross our paths here at Short of the Week and though the stories of the millions of displaced people around the world are as important as ever, the frequency at which we were experiencing these (very similar) stories was ultimately making us feel somewhat disconnected to the crisis. Discussing how the media contributed to the migrant crisis, journalist Daniel Trilling highlighted how “human stories” have the greatest currency in the world of news and though he also explores the problems with this statement, he calls attention to the need for a reader/viewer to connect to and feel empathy for the very real people in these stories. It’s not enough to just present the facts, something needed to be done to help an audience to connect, a new approach was needed.
With Walé Oyéjidé and Jake Saner’s 20-minute documentary After Migration: Calabria this is exactly what they’ve delivered – a fresh take on a much-covered subject. “Too often, stories about irregular migration are centered on trauma, and depict seekers of asylum as hapless victims in need of rescuing”, the directors tell Short of the Week, as we discuss their short. “This film subverts the commonly accepted narrative by illuminating the regality of those we commonly disregard as outsiders”.
After Migration: Calabria blends elements of the portrait documentary with aspects of the fashion film.
Described in its synopsis as a “triumphant portrait”, this is exactly what After Migration: Calabria feels like. Though there has obviously been suffering in the lives of single mother
Favor Joseph and the football-loving Alieu Kebbeh, Oyéjidé and Saner’s film doesn’t focus on this and feels much more like a celebration of their achievements and their new lives, instead of just dwelling on the pain of their past.
Alongside the positive approach to the narrative, After Migration: Calabria is also notable for the filmmaking craft on show. Described as “combining culturally representative fashion design with storytelling”, the short employs rich, sweeping cinematography, picturesque landscapes and a grand soundtrack to make for an imposing and truly rewarding viewing experience. It’s certainly unlike any refugee story we’ve seen before.
The After Migration project promises film, photography, prose and fashion design to tell beautiful stories about people who have crossed borders. For more visit the link below.