Moving UNHCR Film Follows the Challenges Faced by People Forced to Flee from War

In a new evocative campaign film created by creative agency &Co. /NoA for UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, as part of a global advocacy campaign ‘Hope away from Home’, world leaders are urged to uphold the fundamental right of individuals to seek safety from war, violence and persecution. 

In various parts of the world, an increasing number of refugees forced to flee their homes are being denied the right to seek safety, with many facing dangers along the routes, pushbacks at borders, or left in legal limbo, sometimes for years, as they search for safety and a solution to their situation. The film calls for more solidarity with people forced to flee and firmer commitments from states to honour their moral and legal obligations towards people seeking safety from war, violence and persecution. 

The film is narrated by Nomzamo Mbatha, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, South African actress and human rights activist. 

The film is inspired by the harrowing plight of refugees across the globe. 

“The need for global solidarity with people fleeing the dangers of war, violence and persecution has never been greater. With this campaign we are calling on all parts of society; states, international organisation, civil society, and the public to do the right thing, to take a stand against injustice and to take action to help protect the fundamental right to seek safety for everyone without discrimination,” says Dominique Isabelle Hyde, UNHCR’s director of external relations. 

Robert Cerkez, executive creative director at &Co., elucidates, “When it comes to a problem of  this magnitude, many choose to look the other way. Not because we don’t care, but because we are overwhelmed by feelings of helplessness and apathy. It has been our creative ambition to turn that indifference into empathy as well as concrete actions through a feeling of human relatability.” 

Directed by Cannes Lions Grand Prix inner for Direction, Marcus Ibanez, the film is a symbolic representation of the harsh reality of being forced to flee your home and the struggle to find safety in today’s world. The film tells the story of three people from different parts of the world whose lives are suddenly turned upside down, by war, violence or persecution. They are physically and dramatically uprooted from their homes and countries in situations and by forces outside their control and thrown into the unknown. 

The viewer is taken on a journey with them as they struggle to find safety and a helping hand; some are lucky enough to find it, others are not.  

Ibanez shares, “Every refugee story is different. We set out to tell three different stories and came up with three different ways of visualising their journey – and not least their fate. It was powerful to portray visually.” 

The film, which is part of a three-year advocacy campaign by UNHCR called ‘Hope Away from Home' aims to push for greater solidarity and policy change to ensure refugees’ rights are protected in line with international law and solutions are found to allow refugees the opportunity to rebuild their lives and contribute to their host communities.