CIFF47: PSQ March 22 – April 1, 2023 | Streams April 2 – April 9, 2023

Unsettled: Seeking Refuge in America

Year: 2019
Country: United States
Run Time: 84 minutes

Unsettled: Seeking Refuge in America
Unsettled: Seeking Refuge in America

This powerful documentary traces the setbacks and triumphs experienced by LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers escaping from the Middle East and Africa as they struggle to carve out a new home in the U.S. Facing violence and persecution in their home countries, the film introduces us to: Subhi, a Syrian activist running from Al Qaeda; Cheyenne and Mari, a young lesbian couple fleeing Angola; and Junior, an HIV+ man driven out of the Congo. The film’s protagonists are relocated to San Francisco, arguably the American queer mecca, in the hope of finding freedom and safety. But they are met with an entirely new set of challenges, including securing permanent housing and steady employment in one of the nation’s most expensive cities—not to mention the fight to maintain their mental health amidst the endless bureaucratic gymnastics required of them. Still, this is a story of perseverance, and it captures the profound beauty of the human will to survive while speaking to the unwavering resilience of queer people around the globe. — R.J.T.

CIFF44 Screenings

Thursday, March 26, 2020 at 9:00 PM

Friday, March 27, 2020 at 2:15 PM

Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 2:25 PM

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 11:00 AM -
Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at 10:00 PM

Accessibility (?)
Closed Captions: No
Audio Description: No
English Subtitles: No

Sidebars
African Diaspora
Outlook
Voices of the Arab World

Competition
Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition

Director

Director
Tom Shepard

Producers
Tom Shepard, Jen Gilomen

Cinematography
Andrew Black, Jen Gilomen, Mike Seely

Editing
Eva Brzeski

Film Contact

Community Partners

Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio

Human Rights Campaign

Donate >

Donate

Your donation helps fulfill our mission to promote artistically and culturally significant film arts through education and exhibition.

Sign up for our email newsletter

go
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • flickr
  • alexa
  • foursquare

Donate

x

We promise you, it will make a difference!

Give Today