Our community has been built by waves of refugees escaping the destruction, the death and violence that has ravaged Europe for two great wars and then the cold War that followed.
We are community that has refugees from nearly every theatre of conflict around the globe, we even have citizens who have volunteered or been part of peace keeping forces in these same locations, so we know what its like to flee, to live in hope that at sometime in the future you will escape the UNHCR Refugee Camp and gain refugee status in one of the participating countries to re-home your and your family.
You wait, and you wait, and you wait.
Finally you gain that all important letter advising that you have a new home to go to, you are hopeful and optimistic, it might be hard at first but you will come through.
So what's it like today to be a refuge? Constance on the Edge, is real life experiences of one refugee family's resettlement in Australia. Filmed over 10 years it is raw, emotional and a very honest portrayal.
One family. Two wars. Three countries. What does it take to forge a new life far from home?
"Brave, lion-hearted, charismatic Constance, mother of six, confronts her painful past in war torn Sudan, and risks everything in Australia so her family can thrive.
Constance and her brothers and sisters spent ten years waiting in a refugee camps across northern and easter Africa. Constance and her children in one, and the rest of the family scattered, each thinking the others were dead. Ten years in a refugee camp, escaping the second Sudanese war, in fact all life in Africa has been escaping war in her homeland.
Ten years without enough food to feed everyone every night, without opportunities for education for her children and without enough medical care, so death comes from not having the simple everyday health aids we take for granted. All the while constantly witnessing marauding rebels raiding the camp, killing and raping.
This is an extraordinary film documentary, it joins Constance when she is at crisis point, while she may have done something wrong, we find out as this story unfolds that no one is really prepared for the level of grief and pain that these people have suffered and witnessed. We just see another refugee thats going to take our job, or our house, or maybe sneak in in rob us at night. We don't understand that if you have had no access to education, then just because your 15 years old doesn't necessarily mean you go straight into year 9.
This film highlights that for all our sophistication. wealth and position in the world we are in fact, not that smart when it comes to supporting refugees. We should know better you would think considering we are nation of boat people, excusing our original first nation.
Constance's story is told through her journey, her son, Charles, her daughter Vicky and her niece Mary. Its like rollercoaster, tugging at you emotionally anger, frustration, sadness, laughter and joy.
Constance is a remarkable woman, and I would suspect she comes from a remarkable line of strong women who have challenged the hierarchy and fought tooth and nail for their family. At the heart of her story is her family and will it survive. She has battles with the law, government and people within the community, she battles racism she battles to save her son, and she battles that demons that keep her awake at night, the memories of war, torment and constant running.
Director Belinda Mason has crafted a beautiful film, it challenges your own constructs about refugees, and brings your to a place that gives you hope. Not only is a great story, well told, but its also beautifully executed with wonderful animations, and exquisite cinematography that paints Wagga Wagga and its surrounds in such a delicious palette.
Belinda and Constance's relationship goes back over ten years, and to tell this story, you would need ten years of trust and love. The film deals with many sensitive issues, and Constance, Mary, Vicky and Charles do a remarkable job is being so open and honest.
There are stories we need to hear in this country, rather than faceless refugees, we need to know who these people are and the nature of their journey, and what pain still has to be stilled. Constance shared a story told by a member of the audience in another screening and they said Constance's journey was not dissimilar to those who had gone off to fight in WWII or those who stayed at home, the battle scars lasted a lifetime and damaged all around them, because no one knew what to do and we were too scared to ask.
Above all else this film is about belonging, Constance questions where does she belong at the start and at the end. We have a question to ask ourselves, how do we enable those who come escaping from the worlds battle fields to belong.
Directed by Belinda Mason, produced by Marguerite Grey, and filmed largely in Wagga Wagga, where Constance and her family were resettled. Belinda met Constance a year after they had arrived in Wagga Wagga. Belinda then set to work to capture the story of this family as they struggled to find a place to call home.
The film is screening currently at the Griffith City Cinema, check the cinema for screening dates. It will most likely come back a little later as well, I think a double screening of two different refugee documentaries would be in order, Mary Meets Mohammad and Constance on the Edge. High Schools are being encouraged to show the film or attend screenings. As are any organisation or retail or community group that in anyway support refugees and new settlers. "
This is an important film, and every politician should be sat down and made watch this at least five times, so they understand why. 69 Million people are currently classified by the UNHCR as displaced - because of war, drought, famine or rising sea water. Thats a lot of people.
The special screening in Griffith and Leeton over this weekend has been supported by Western Riverina Arts and the Griffith City Cinema and the Roxy Theatre Leeton.
We are community that has refugees from nearly every theatre of conflict around the globe, we even have citizens who have volunteered or been part of peace keeping forces in these same locations, so we know what its like to flee, to live in hope that at sometime in the future you will escape the UNHCR Refugee Camp and gain refugee status in one of the participating countries to re-home your and your family.
You wait, and you wait, and you wait.
Finally you gain that all important letter advising that you have a new home to go to, you are hopeful and optimistic, it might be hard at first but you will come through.
So what's it like today to be a refuge? Constance on the Edge, is real life experiences of one refugee family's resettlement in Australia. Filmed over 10 years it is raw, emotional and a very honest portrayal.
One family. Two wars. Three countries. What does it take to forge a new life far from home?
"Brave, lion-hearted, charismatic Constance, mother of six, confronts her painful past in war torn Sudan, and risks everything in Australia so her family can thrive.
Constance and her brothers and sisters spent ten years waiting in a refugee camps across northern and easter Africa. Constance and her children in one, and the rest of the family scattered, each thinking the others were dead. Ten years in a refugee camp, escaping the second Sudanese war, in fact all life in Africa has been escaping war in her homeland.
 |
| Constance and Belinda Mason (Director) handle the question and answer session at the end of the Griffith Screening |
Ten years without enough food to feed everyone every night, without opportunities for education for her children and without enough medical care, so death comes from not having the simple everyday health aids we take for granted. All the while constantly witnessing marauding rebels raiding the camp, killing and raping.
This is an extraordinary film documentary, it joins Constance when she is at crisis point, while she may have done something wrong, we find out as this story unfolds that no one is really prepared for the level of grief and pain that these people have suffered and witnessed. We just see another refugee thats going to take our job, or our house, or maybe sneak in in rob us at night. We don't understand that if you have had no access to education, then just because your 15 years old doesn't necessarily mean you go straight into year 9.
 |
| Constance and Neville Dwyer |
Constance's story is told through her journey, her son, Charles, her daughter Vicky and her niece Mary. Its like rollercoaster, tugging at you emotionally anger, frustration, sadness, laughter and joy.
Constance is a remarkable woman, and I would suspect she comes from a remarkable line of strong women who have challenged the hierarchy and fought tooth and nail for their family. At the heart of her story is her family and will it survive. She has battles with the law, government and people within the community, she battles racism she battles to save her son, and she battles that demons that keep her awake at night, the memories of war, torment and constant running.
Director Belinda Mason has crafted a beautiful film, it challenges your own constructs about refugees, and brings your to a place that gives you hope. Not only is a great story, well told, but its also beautifully executed with wonderful animations, and exquisite cinematography that paints Wagga Wagga and its surrounds in such a delicious palette.
Belinda and Constance's relationship goes back over ten years, and to tell this story, you would need ten years of trust and love. The film deals with many sensitive issues, and Constance, Mary, Vicky and Charles do a remarkable job is being so open and honest.
 |
| Constance and Margaret and Emma Couch |
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| Constance, Craig Tesler (cinema manager) and film director Belinda Mason |
Above all else this film is about belonging, Constance questions where does she belong at the start and at the end. We have a question to ask ourselves, how do we enable those who come escaping from the worlds battle fields to belong.
Directed by Belinda Mason, produced by Marguerite Grey, and filmed largely in Wagga Wagga, where Constance and her family were resettled. Belinda met Constance a year after they had arrived in Wagga Wagga. Belinda then set to work to capture the story of this family as they struggled to find a place to call home.
The film is screening currently at the Griffith City Cinema, check the cinema for screening dates. It will most likely come back a little later as well, I think a double screening of two different refugee documentaries would be in order, Mary Meets Mohammad and Constance on the Edge. High Schools are being encouraged to show the film or attend screenings. As are any organisation or retail or community group that in anyway support refugees and new settlers. "
This is an important film, and every politician should be sat down and made watch this at least five times, so they understand why. 69 Million people are currently classified by the UNHCR as displaced - because of war, drought, famine or rising sea water. Thats a lot of people.
The special screening in Griffith and Leeton over this weekend has been supported by Western Riverina Arts and the Griffith City Cinema and the Roxy Theatre Leeton.
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