WAS IT THAT SIMPLE? 

     I come from a country where the government decided not to take in too many refugees, The refugee crisis has been a controversial topic since this humanitarian crisis started to become visible on the news. One of the most remarkable events was a few years ago, in 2015 under the banner : "Welcome refugees" the council town of Madrid tried to open its arms and show its position in this difficult situation. Of course this was hotly discussed by everyone, was it just a political strategy or was the council town really concerned about this issue? This was one of the main reasons which made me to lean towards forced migration.

   When I started this project I was very ambitious, I imagined a total Hollywood film, beautiful footage, amazing editing, a spectacular narrative and all the things that I could imagine. I still think that I have been ambitious with my project, but I also realise that there is a huge gap in between what I expected and what I have done. Don't misunderstand me, I am happy with my final product ( even if I think that there are still things that can be better). What I mean, it is that I am a beginner, and as a beginner I let my imagination run wild with so many things.

        I filmed this short movie in Berlin, I took a flight and I was there for a few days. What I was also trying to say in the previous paragraph is how inexperience can play an important role in your film. Let me explain what happened in Berlin during these days, to illustrate the importance of inexperience. Before going to Berlin I wrote some e-mails to refugee-related organisations and people who have experienced a forced migration, none of them replied to my e-mails. I did not care about that and flew to Berlin anyway. There I went to visit the refugee camp that is set in the abandoned airport, Tempelhof. I do not know what I was expecting from a refugee camp, but it was by far not what I had in my mind, but apart from that fact and how that touched me I did not account for any language issues. I tried to interview some people on the streets, but I cannot speak German and they did not understand me when I spoke in English to them, so having a little understanding of the language of the place that you are visiting is always a good thing to begin with. Also knowing a little bit of the transport is helpful as well, in my case I got lost for 2 hours in the tube/tramp with no phone battery and I missed a few precious hours that I could use to record. Another thing I did not expect was how afraid people get in front of a camera, so many people refuse to be interviewed in front of the camera. Some of them were refugees, and they did not want to complain about their situation in the camp because they were afraid of being kicked out and they have nowhere else to go. 

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        According to my own experience, I can say that filming an ethnographic movie is not easy. I used to use my camera to take pictures, so I was familiar with it, but there is a difference in using a camera to take pictures and using the camera to record. You have to use a different eye, you have to see reality from a different perspective. Capturing an animated object in one click is not the same as following this animated object for a few seconds. And obviously the result is not the same, the shakiness can be interesting in a picture and also can create an atmosphere, but in my opinion more than 8 second of shaky video is disturbing and can ruin the footage.  It is not about having great instruments, it is the way you use the tools. Furthermore, the narrative is really important, how can I transmit what I see through the camera in the same way that I see through my eyes and experience what is in front of me? I think that was the most difficult part for me, to share what I felt in that refugee camp and also try to convey how they felt, how could I show to the audience the great impact that their stories had on me? It was not about creating a drama, it was about communicating the atmosphere that my friend and I had with Mashi, the refugee. For me that was difficult, because I experienced it like an opportunity to reflect the reality of someone who was living in that camp, to use my privileged position as a tool to give a voice to a situation that is often hidden and silenced. I saw it as a duty, he gave his trust and I could not fail him. 

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        My conclusion after this rewarding experience is that the situation will never adapt to me, it has to be me who adapts to it, because in the end you work with the material that you have been collecting and not with the dreams that you had in your mind, they are just a good driving force to start.  

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