How it came to life
I’ve never been involved in a film with such a compelling reason to be made. The film is aimed at the alarming number of children around the world who are displaced from their homelands due to the many circumstances facing refugees such as war, famine and persecution. It seeks to recognise the problems they may face settling in a new and often unknown country with potentially a completely different language, culture and set of customs to contend with. We touch on the feelings of isolation and loneliness that can become part of experiencing life as an outsider and aim to offer a message of hope and reassurance that acceptance can be found even in the most disparate of places.
Despite the gravity of the subject, Save The Children were keen that the tone of the film should be one of hope rather than a bleak depiction of the refugee experience. We worked closely together, carefully looking at first-hand accounts from children who were forced to become refugees. While utterly heart-breaking, these personal accounts were so powerful and affecting that it quickly made me realise the desperate need to offer some form of comfort to anyone going through the same experiences. If there was any way to provide a reassuring hand on the shoulder through this film, any glimmer of hope and positivity to pass on, then that was its purpose.
The main aim for the film was to be shown globally and potentially to children in refugee camps across the world. It was therefore important that it should have a universal appeal, avoiding reference to any specific conflicts, countries or races. This also meant that we needed to avoid dialogue in order for the film to be understood by people of all languages. The characters needed to communicate through gesture and expression alone.