Director's Statement: Karen Cho

As a filmmaker, much of my work has dealt with issues of identity, immigration, and the re-telling of history from unique and often ignored perspectives. I've always been interested in refugee issues and inspired by the courage of people who have fled torture or persecution to begin again in a new country.

The idea for Seeking Refuge stemmed from my unease with the post 9/11 "security atmosphere" and global trends towards closing-off borders. I found that refugees are often painted in the media as "security threats", "line jumpers" or "pariahs" in our society. I was concerned with how negative stereotypes and misconceptions could imperil the lives of people seeking safety.

I wanted to make a film that explored the lives of people fleeing persecution and their struggles to seek safety and start over again in Canada. What is it like to leave your family and loved ones behind? How does it feel to have your future, safety, and wellbeing decided by a single interview with a stranger? What goes through your mind when you know you could be deported and returned to danger? Seeking Refuge puts a human face to the issue of refugee protection. Told through the eyes and experiences of refugee claimants, the film allows audiences to better understand the human side of Canada's refugee system.

In making the film, I was moved by the bravery and perseverance of the refugees I met. Unlike immigrants, refugees never choose to come here; they are forced to flee their homes and loved ones in search of safety. Having escaped violence, death threats and torture, they now face isolation, cultural and language barriers. Yet each had such will to survive, to protect their children, and to start over.

I was also inspired and encouraged by the dedication of the refugee support-workers, lawyers, and Board Members I met who made it their life's mission to protect the rights of refugees.

Esly escaped violence in Honduras

Canada is known worldwide as a country that celebrates its pluralism and is defined by its attitudes towards issues such as immigration and refugee protection. But in a world where borders are closing while human migration increases, is this still the case? Our refugee protection system is certainly one of the most generous in the world, but it is also plagued with problems and flaws that can have dire consequences for refugees. I was troubled by how some asylum seekers had fallen trough the cracks of the system and were forced to wait years before a decision would be made on their future. It seemed incomprehensible to me that, in Canada, asylum seekers still don't have a right of appeal despite the fact that Canadian law calls for one. I was appalled and disappointed by how many pillars of our refugee system are slowly eroding.

Fouad in front of Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada in Montreal

In the end, being accepted or denied as a refugee can mean life or death for an asylum claimant. Our refugee protection system holds people's lives in the balance; this is something we should never forget.

In Seeking Refuge I hoped to explore the personal stories of refugees and speak to the humanity of a system put in place to protect people's lives. The result is a moving story of survival, displacement and regeneration.