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Refugees welcome
Description
'As three minorities who are either U.S. immigrants ourselves or are the children/grandchildren of immigrants from second and third world countries, all of us possess ideas, albeit varying ones, of how difficult it is to uproot your life and relocate to an unfamiliar place, regardless of the possible opportunities that await. We want to tell these stories--those of struggle, of escape, of big dreams, of hard-work, of exclusion, of immersion--through the experiences of immigrants and refugees in Madrid.' Artistic Statements: Rachel Andrade: My semester abroad in Madrid almost fatedly happened to fall amidst one of the most politically turbulent times in European history. With more than a million migrants and refugees crossing into Europe in 2015, and thousands more projected for this year, the EU continues to divide further apart while deciding how to re-settle the new pseudo-citizens. Even prior to leaving America, I knew that there would be thousands of dislocated migrants in Madrid, with even more delicate immigration stories to tell. Nevertheless, making my first documentary during my semester abroad was not at all what I had in mind, and like most works of art, the journey to arrive at the final project displayed above was no easy feat. After hundreds of emails, visits, and meetings with embassies across Madrid, and thousands of “No’s,” rejections, and moments of hopelessness, we finally found our center, our characters, and the poignant but important story that we wanted to tell. We wanted to investigate what Madrid and its organizations, such as CESAL, do or do not do for those like Jean and Abdul, as well as explore the journey’s behind the protests and mass border-crossings that we see on BBC and CNN. While immigrants and refugees alike have to endure an immense amount of struggle and conflict to leave or escape from their home countries, they are strong, valiant, and more than anything deserve a chance at a new life. As I have always been passionate about globalized social justice and equality, as well as using documentary filmmaking as the vehicle to do so, I’m thrilled that I finally had the opportunity to use my one voice in order to make a powerful statement for many. Jenn Choi: As our film intimately reveals the lives of immigrants and refugees, my hope is that viewers will draw parallels from our characters’ lives to their own—that watching Abdul and Jean will enable them to reflect upon their own internal struggles as well as revel in their accomplishments. Whether that is the trials and tribulations they and their family went through when first relocating to a new place, or even simply the struggle to discover their respective purposes in life. Regardless of your country of origin, social standing, or destiny, we all have dreams to improve our lives and to give ourselves a chance at finding happiness. Jean and Abdul teach us that even if you aren’t where you want to be right now, that’s okay-- being you, being alive, is already still such a blessing. Above all, our final film represents solidarity. We stand with Jean and Abdul because we too have dreams to work towards. We stand with you because we all fight for a better tomorrow each and every day. Marisa Jamieson: Even on our very first day I remember feeling overwhelmed. Within the first forty minutes I found myself preoccupied with possible ideas, and after watching some of last semester’s films I felt the pressure to also create something great. I kept my eyes open for potential projects, and then one day on the bus home I saw the ‘Refugee’s Welcome’ banner hanging above city hall and I conferred with my group about the possibility of pursuing it. Once we were all in agreeance we began drafting letters, waking up at 5 am to visit countless embassies and offices on foot, and after striking out dozens of times, we found CESAL. Fernando, the assistant director of the center was the first one to welcome our proposal, and we soon set up a schedule to teach english classes. A couple of days later we met our two main characters Abdul and Jean. Abdul had fun and energetic character, and we could tell he was magnetic amongst his peers. Jean was a bit more reserved, but still had a unique confidence when telling his story. Through filming over the following weeks we got to know them both, and aside from a few scheduling delays, that process went fine… what was far more difficult however, was the editing process. These last few weeks have been hellish, the hours together crowding around computer monitors, and the frustration of weak rough cuts have greatly taken a toll on my sanity… but in the best way possible. Now it is over, I am over the moon with excitement and relief, and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to create art with all the people involved.
'As three minorities who are either U.S. immigrants ourselves or are the children/grandchildren of immigrants from second and third world countries, all of us possess ideas, albeit varying ones, of how difficult it is to uproot your life and relocate to an unfamiliar place, regardless of the possible opportunities that await. We want to tell these stories--those of struggle, of escape, of big dreams, of hard-work, of exclusion, of immersion--through the experiences of immigrants and refugees in Madrid.' Artistic Statements: Rachel Andrade: My semester abroad in Madrid almost fatedly happened to fall amidst one of the most politically turbulent times in European history. With more than a million migrants and refugees crossing into Europe in 2015, and thousands more projected for this year, the EU continues to divide further apart while deciding how to re-settle the new pseudo-citizens. Even prior to leaving America, I knew that there would be thousands of dislocated migrants in Madrid, with even more delicate immigration stories to tell. Nevertheless, making my first documentary during my semester abroad was not at all what I had in mind, and like most works of art, the journey to arrive at the final project displayed above was no easy feat. After hundreds of emails, visits, and meetings with embassies across Madrid, and thousands of “No’s,” rejections, and moments of hopelessness, we finally found our center, our characters, and the poignant but important story that we wanted to tell. We wanted to investigate what Madrid and its organizations, such as CESAL, do or do not do for those like Jean and Abdul, as well as explore the journey’s behind the protests and mass border-crossings that we see on BBC and CNN. While immigrants and refugees alike have to endure an immense amount of struggle and conflict to leave or escape from their home countries, they are strong, valiant, and more than anything deserve a chance at a new life. As I have always been passionate about globalized social justice and equality, as well as using documentary filmmaking as the vehicle to do so, I’m thrilled that I finally had the opportunity to use my one voice in order to make a powerful statement for many. Jenn Choi: As our film intimately reveals the lives of immigrants and refugees, my hope is that viewers will draw parallels from our characters’ lives to their own—that watching Abdul and Jean will enable them to reflect upon their own internal struggles as well as revel in their accomplishments. Whether that is the trials and tribulations they and their family went through when first relocating to a new place, or even simply the struggle to discover their respective purposes in life. Regardless of your country of origin, social standing, or destiny, we all have dreams to improve our lives and to give ourselves a chance at finding happiness. Jean and Abdul teach us that even if you aren’t where you want to be right now, that’s okay-- being you, being alive, is already still such a blessing. Above all, our final film represents solidarity. We stand with Jean and Abdul because we too have dreams to work towards. We stand with you because we all fight for a better tomorrow each and every day. Marisa Jamieson: Even on our very first day I remember feeling overwhelmed. Within the first forty minutes I found myself preoccupied with possible ideas, and after watching some of last semester’s films I felt the pressure to also create something great. I kept my eyes open for potential projects, and then one day on the bus home I saw the ‘Refugee’s Welcome’ banner hanging above city hall and I conferred with my group about the possibility of pursuing it. Once we were all in agreeance we began drafting letters, waking up at 5 am to visit countless embassies and offices on foot, and after striking out dozens of times, we found CESAL. Fernando, the assistant director of the center was the first one to welcome our proposal, and we soon set up a schedule to teach english classes. A couple of days later we met our two main characters Abdul and Jean. Abdul had fun and energetic character, and we could tell he was magnetic amongst his peers. Jean was a bit more reserved, but still had a unique confidence when telling his story. Through filming over the following weeks we got to know them both, and aside from a few scheduling delays, that process went fine… what was far more difficult however, was the editing process. These last few weeks have been hellish, the hours together crowding around computer monitors, and the frustration of weak rough cuts have greatly taken a toll on my sanity… but in the best way possible. Now it is over, I am over the moon with excitement and relief, and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to create art with all the people involved.
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