As the Mountainfilm Film Festival is just beginning, many inspirational films have already been presented, yet there are multiple other films still waiting for their first appearance. From the films I have viewed already, This is Home, a 91 minute feature length documentary (dir. Alexandra Shiva) was one that significantly caught my attention in its story of four different Syrian refugee families and their experiences as they have just entered the United States. This film is noteworthy because of its precise editing and its inclusion of immense emotion.
This film is an interesting documentary in its use of multiple modes as well. I would first consider this film to be observational because of its day-to-day style. The subjects are followed around on their journey to getting their first jobs and obtaining their green cards. In some cases, the camera is not very steady, but this gives a realistic aspect to the film, showing that this film is not a perfect story, it is rather complicated. Along with observational, it is a very poetic film because of the immeasurable emotion. The subjects in the film are dealing with issues that are not common in an “ordinary” American life, which makes the film overwhelmingly emotional for the American viewers. Overall, this film is a great example of a documentary because of its classic observational mode and its sensational poetic mode.
Other than the accurate representation of a documentary incorporated into the film, this film was interesting to me primarily because of the emotional aspect. I appreciate films that have an implicit meaning, making it more personal and realistic. This film was also very informational with its inclusion of present Syrian refugee issues, making the film more of a call-to-action film and an important film from the festival. The goal of Mountainfilm is to influence and create activists, and when emotion filled films are displayed, this can trigger an audience more effectively.
An example of a Syrian home after destruction (This is Home has not released many images from the film)
Besides the emotion being a beneficial factor in this film, the editing also played a crucial role in the message of the film. There were multiple scenes that discussed the issues in Syria, and to clarify and show the monstrosity of the issues, the editor added clips from Syria. Although this made the film more comprehensible, this, once again, added to the emotion, making the issues realistic for viewers who have never heard or seen of something so horrifying.
A Syrian refugee mother wears an American flag burka to feel more safe in Baltimore
Mountainfilm’s 2018 theme, migration, is emphasized here as the subjects are moving because of the dangerous situations in Syria. One of the principles of the festival is to connect cultures, and here one culture moves and adapts to American culture. With its inspiring message, emotional storyline, and effective editing, This is Home represents the message the Mountainfilm Film Festival aims to portray.
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