Welcome To Canada

Cohen's War

September 2005 •English

An hour-long portrait of Canadian immigration lawyer, M. Lee Cohen, renowned for his work with refugees. The film follows his representation of Sonya Pecelj and Vladimir Zalipyatskikh. The first case follows a young woman, Sonya Pecelj from Kosovo, who seeks sanctuary for more than a year in a church; the second case follows a Russian sailor who dives off a ship in Halifax Harbour to escape virtual imprisonment by the Russian fish mafia.

Les petites mains invisibles

Invalid date •English

November 2017, North of Paris : H. Reiner-Onet cleaning company workers are fighting an exemplary battle. This 45 days strike, one of the longest in the history of the French railway, led by these men and women, ended in a decisive victory against two giants, Onet and the SNCF. One of the most impoverished sectors among railway workers, they had no previous experience with striking or organized struggle. How did they pull such a victory ? Their dermination to fight was undoubtedly the key to winning, but so are the links they forged with revolutionary activists who brought with them a tradition of fighting for workers against employers.

Born in Syria

November 2016 •Spanish

This intimate documentary follows a group of Syrian children refugees who narrowly escape a life of torment and integrate into a foreign land.

De Charles de Gaulle à Emmanuel Macron, les gardiens de l'empire

March 2022 •French

Grève à Jeune Afrique

January 1972 •French

After two months of a hard-fought strike, accompanied by a day-and-night occupation of the premises, Jeune Afrique's workers were the victims of a court order authorizing their CEO, Bechir Ben Yahmed, to have them removed by the police. If they resisted, they risked falling foul of the law against rioters. To avoid the African comrades being deported from France, the strikers decided to leave. But before leaving, they organized a demonstration of solidarity with hundreds of journalists from the traditional and revolutionary press.

E4FC - 2013 San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards

Invalid date •English

The San Francisco Foundation presents 2013 Community Leadership Awardee, Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC), with The San Francisco Foundation Award, made to an organization demonstrating exemplary commitment to improving human relations in the Bay Area. E4FC provides direct support to and advocacy for highly motivated, college-bound undocumented students who had come to the United States as children and wished to remain. They are a leader in the field of immigrant work, providing youth tangible support and the space for them to tell their own story. As a result, E4FC's work is an essential part of the DREAMers movement catapulting the organizations role as a leader in both the Bay Area and as a national model in supporting and empowering immigrant youth. www.sff.org/cla

Puente de la Costa Sur

December 2009 •English

Puente de la Costa Sur, winner of the San Francisco Foundation 2004 Community Leadership Awards (John R. May Award) - for its creative, grassroots efforts to provide education, social justice advocacy, direct services, and community connections enabling immigrant men in rural San Mateo County to improve their living and working conditions

Deportation Class

June 2017 •German

Documentary about a "transportation commando" in Germany with the goal to deport 200 people to Albania...

Perdus entre deux rives, les Chibanis oubliés

July 2014 •French

Strine Life

May 2016 •English

A short film / documentary that depicts the daily grind of first-generation immigrants in Australia.

Okinawa/Santos

November 2020 •Japanese

During World War II, many Japanese immigrants in Santos, Brazil, were forced to move to another place. Matsubayashi draws attention to the fact that 60% of the immigrants were from Okinawa. Based on testimonies from interviewees, this film reveals the hidden historical relationship between Okinawa and Brazil.

All of Me

November 2014 •Spanish

"Take my love" is a documentary film about "Las Patronas", a group of women who daily cook, pack and throw food to the migrants riding the "Beast" train.

Venezuela at Home

March 2019 •Spanish

Two groups of Venezuelan dancers, while preparing for a dance battle, survive at traffic lights in the streets of Medellín. A group reflection on love, family and identity, far from home.

69 Minutes of 86 Days

March 2017 •Norwegian

A 3-year-old girl and her family's long journey from a Greek refugee centre to Uppsala.

Visitor's Day

June 2017 •Spanish

16 year-old Juan Carlos was homeless on the streets of Mexico City for years before landing at IPODERAC, a social enterprise that houses runaway boys and supports them through the production and sale of artisanal cheese. It is here, among goats, cheese and 71 new brothers that Juan Carlos transforms from a victim to a leader, shattering everyone's expectations of him and proving the power of forgiveness.

Five Days on Lesvos

September 2016 •English

As politicians debate and argue, the men, women and children at the heart of the European immigration wave have found themselves caught in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. On the frontline is the Greek island of Lesvos – the first point of entry into Europe for over half of the refugees. One week at the end of August 2015 marked a tipping point in the crisis. More refugees arrived than ever before, volunteers were inundated and local infrastructure just couldn’t cope; trains were overflowing, refugees were dying in the back of lorries and on beaches, and politicians responded by closing borders and arguing about how to stem the tide of people. Filmed over just five days, this first-hand account of that dramatic week on Lesvos is seen through the eyes of the refugees and volunteers caught in the crisis.

Boys on Film 23: Dangerous to Know

July 2023 •English

Boys on Film presents ten encounters from across the globe, where the dangerous allure of a risky attraction yields emotional results — proving that the age-old adage of taking the plunge is as relevant — and sexy — as ever before. The 10 short films are: My Uncle's Friend [O Amigo do Meu Tio] (2021); Budapest, Closed City [Budapest, zárt város] (2021); Eden (2020); Chaperone (2022); Break Me [Knus meg] (2018); By His Will [שעשני כרצונו] (2021); Red Ants Bite (2019); Jim (2022); Hornbeam (2022); Too Rough (2022).

A Thousand Pines

September 2023 •English

In this tale of labor and family that shines a light on the precarity of temporary work visas, Raymundo Morales leads a crew of workers who have to make the challenging decision to leave their families in rural Mexico to plant commercial pine forests in the United States.

I Know a Place

December 2022 •Spanish

Young people who decide to leave their home to seek opportunities for the future face different difficulties on a daily basis. The inevitable estrangement with family and lifelong friends. The constant lack of understanding, the coldness and individualism of the new city. The stress and even the feeling of being a stranger back home. This journey to the future sets out issues about identity, nostalgia and courage, while they fight to find their place in a changeable world.

Alien: American Dream Denied

March 2023 •English

Advances in science and technology in America depend heavily on high-skilled legal immigrants from across the globe. But our current immigration system takes an inhumane, unfair, and unwise approach toward these immigrants and their families. Alien: American Dream Denied spotlights the emotional journey of these high-skilled, documented immigrants as they seek permanence in a country that benefits from their talent, but denies them a home.