Director Paul Tom crafts an emotionally affecting portrait of the journeys of child refugees in Canada.
Directed by: Paul Tom
Year: 2021
Country: Canada
Length: 77 minutes
Every year, more than 400 children arrive alone in Canada to claim their refugee status. These children arrive without their parents. Seuls gives three people who have gone through this the chance to tell their story and talk about their journey. Three people with each very unique paths.
Afshin left his home in Iran 35 years ago, in the midst of the Iran-Iraq war. Being surrounded by explosions, his parents made the decision to let Afshin escape the country and get him to safety. Through a long journey through Europe, full of danger, Afshin made his way to Canada.
Alain left Burundi 15 years ago, after his father was imprisoned during the civil war. His mother was being threatened and it was unsafe for her and Alain to leave. The two of them left the country, in the hope to find a safer future. However, Alain had to make it to his final destination on his own.
Lastly, this documentary follows Patricia, a young girl from Uganda who had to leave the country just last summer. After coming out as bisexual, the 17 year old Patricia found that her life was being threatened. The girl could face imprisonment or even worse. She also made a gripping journey to Canada, leaving behind her mother.
Seuls follows three different periods in which the refugees had to escape, from three different countries and in three different stages of their lives. However, there’s one major emotion that these people still have in common to this day. That emotion is loneliness. All three people feel a sense of longing to the place they grew up in, the culture, their families and their homes. The documentary shows that no matter how secure one’s residence and safety may be, there remains a kind loneliness and isolation present, fueled by trauma that these people have gone through and are still dealing with.
The film is not presented as your average talking-head documentary. Instead, real-life footage from the present day perfectly alternates with animated sequences. In the live action sequences, we follow the three subjects as they talk about their current situation, reflect on what has happened and try to pursue their dreams. In the retellings of their stories, their voice guides us as we’re presented with the expressive animated sequences. Those sequences allows the audience to really see what happened and experience part of the heartbreak and stress, coming straight out of the lives of children who had to give up a lot in order to secure their safety.
Seuls premiered at the 2021 Calgary International Film Festival.
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