A short film, depicting the hopes and dreams of young refugees and asylum seekers in Birmingham, has been showcased to the public to increase awareness of the day-to-day reality of being a young refugee.
Entitled ‘Dreams’, the short film profiles the aspirations of young people who have fled violence, conflict and persecution to make it to safety in the UK.
In it, one girl says: “I dream of becoming a pilot! Especially because everyone thinks it’s a man’s job. The sky’s the limit for me.”
However, the film also highlights the challenges of settling in the UK as a young asylum seeker or refugee, with one boy pointing out: “We are told that with hard work we can achieve our dreams.
“What if you don’t have papers or status in this country? Having no papers means that we can’t work and not working means that we can’t save money to get the education and training we need to make our dreams come true.”
The film was screened for the first time at The Custard Factory in Digbeth on Thursday 29th November, as part of a celebration evening held by Surviving to Thriving, a local support project for young refugees and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Over 200 young people in Birmingham have accessed Surviving to Thriving, a partnership between UpRising, British Red Cross and the Refugee Council. Through support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, the project provides vulnerable 11 to 25 year-olds with the life skills, advice, mental health support and leadership opportunities to rebuild their lives and thrive.
‘Dreams’ was produced through UpRising’s programme which enables participants to use social action and the medium of film to explore their experiences, taking up the roles of actor, script-writer, director, and film-maker to represent the perceptions and challenges they face as unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in British society.
Birmingham video producer Thomas Allan guided the young people through the film-making process.
He said: “What really struck me when making these films with the young people was the laughter and enjoyment I saw. It really is a testament to their strong will and spirit.
“It has been such a privilege to help them put together these films and is something that I will never forget.
“I feel I was more of facilitator than a film-maker as the young people were so focused and driven in what they wanted to communicate. There is a wealth of creativity amongst these forward-thinking young people which will be such an asset to society in the future.”
The films, which cover topics ranging from prejudice and loneliness to the asylum system and age assessments, are then used to train professionals who work with young refugees and asylum seekers to build an understanding of the issues involved.
Cassie Smyth, Surviving to Thriving Project Manager at UpRising Birmingham, said:
“The young people we work with have shown such incredible resilience and strength, despite going through more than most of us can imagine. It’s inspiring to see how much hope they have for the future and how Surviving to Thriving is helping them to channel this.
“It’s crucial that we recognise these film creators not as victims, but as advocates for change who are helping to create a lasting legacy in the refugee support sector.”
The film concludes with a hopeful vision of the future: “We will never stop dreaming about what it is we really want to be and do.
“Besides, we’ve already achieved the impossible. We’re going to reach for the sky.”
To watch the films made through Surviving to Thriving, visit: http://y2u.be/Cd0wmxPvpj8.
