New Canadian documentary follows four asylum seekers on their journeys

Credit to Author: Ramya Ramanathan| Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2023 18:37:14 +0000

A new Canadian-made documentary Finding Freedom goes on a journey with four asylum seekers and draws focus on the plight of refugees, including the disturbing realities of certain refugee detention centres, and the challenges they face even after finding freedom in countries like Canada.  This thought-provoking film, produced by Canadians Mel D’Souza (SILO Entertainment) and director Alan Goldman, uses footage provided by the refugees themselves from their smuggled cellphones on the disturbing prison-like conditions and the daily violations to their human rights.

“The ultimate aim of the documentary is to show that although the people featured in it are now free, their scars and wounds will haunt them for a lifetime,” says director Alan Goldman, “As a filmmaker, I feel a responsibility to raise awareness of the human rights violations happening under the radar — to push audiences to question their beliefs and ask ‘is this how a civil society behaves.”

The documentary highlights the work of private refugee sponsors and organizations, and addresses the ethical responsibility to provide refugees a dignified immigration and resettlement process.

Finding Freedom is now available for free on streaming platform WaterBear, and can also be viewed in B.C. and Alberta on TELUS Optik.

Private sponsorship of refugees

Two of the refugees featured in the documentary, Amin and Amir (last names not shared to protect privacy) arrived in B.C. through Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program.

Amin, who arrived in Canada in December 2021, was sponsored by B.C.-based settlement agency MOSAIC. Featured in the documentary, MOSAIC’s Private Refugee Sponsorship Program has been recognized by the United Nations for its innovation and international partnerships.  Since 2017, MOSAIC has been able to sponsor a total of approximately 680 individuals, upscaling rapidly from only 6 individuals in 2017 to 212 individuals sponsored in 2022.

“The need for refugee resettlement is ever increasing and private refugee sponsorship will continue to be an important part of Canada’s refugee resettlement efforts. While the need will always be greater that our ability to help, MOSAIC’s Private Refugee Sponsorship program will do its part to assist with resettlement where able,” says Iris Challoner, MOSAIC’s manager of the program.

Set up in 1979, Canada’s PSR program has been making a meaningful impact worldwide. The program lets private groups sponsor eligible refugees abroad. Groups include Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH) who sign agreements with the government to help support refugees when they come to Canada; Groups of Five Canadian citizens or permanent residents who sponsor refugees to settle in their communities; and Community Sponsors who are organizations, associations or corporations that sponsor refugees.

Click here to learn more about the PSR program.

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