IT WILL BE CHAOS: A Timely & Personal Look
This is an international problem, and a topic that’s incredibly pertinent right now. What am I talking about? I’m referring to those who cross borders to claim sanctuary, those who make the taxing decision to leave their home to protect their family, not knowing if they’ll have a place to go. It’s a crisis that has families fleeing from oppressive and violent countries, taking their chances, hoping to find asylum elsewhere. More often than not, unfortunately, their problems aren’t fixed.
In HBO’s newest documentary, It Will Be Chaos, there’s no ease into the fray. Instead we’re met with startling images, on an already bold subject, so that the painful truth is hard to escape. Directed by Lorena Luciano and Filippo Piscopo, this documentary goes back to the 2013 disaster in the Mediterranean, and then to 2015 with a family attempting to immigrate to Germany; but this is a story that affects everyone, everywhere, and right now it’s a calamity that needs awareness.
Real Life Traumas, Hoping To Inspire Awareness And Motivate Change
It Will Be Chaos begins in the thick of it; there’s shots of several coffins, along with loved ones mourning all they’ve lost. It’s off the Italian island of Lampedusa, and 518 asylum seekers, mostly Eritreans and Somalian migrants, on their trek to freedom had their boat capsize. Out of those, over 360 died. Families are being told there isn’t room for all of the coffins on the island. They just don’t have the space or resources. It’s a heartbreaking notion, but it opens this conversation and story up with a necessary punch.
We’re given several perspectives, including some of the local fisherman who helped save over twenty of those who survived. Among them is Aregai, a former military officer, who lost his three cousins in the water. As he refers to the disaster, and those involved, it’s a harrowing account, “Most of them, they can’t swim.” After being saved, Aregai is forced to await trial for illegal immigration.
There’s a great balance of those effected by the tragedy near Lampedusa, opinions of the local government and townspeople, and intimate stories of real life people, struggling to protect their family, by making the decision to immigrate.
One such story is that of the Syrian family, the Orfahlis. The family consists of Wael, Doha, their four young children, and Wael’s nephew. It Will Be Chaos finds them in Turkey, in contact with a smuggler, and getting ready for the rocky sea journey ahead of them. We follow them through preparation (purchasing life preservers, anxiously awaiting the call), the imperfect arrival in Greece, and onto Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Austria and finally – to Germany.
A Sincere And Searing Picture
One of my favorite parts of the documentary is when the fierce Mayor Giusi Nicolini corrects the news reporter when they call those who arrived on shore illegal immigrants. “If you don’t get it, neither will your audience. Let’s make it clear…Those who land in Lampedusa aren’t illegals. These people are refugees. You know, words are important.” Minister Cecile Kyenge also has a moving moment in the film, where she contributes a statement that resonates, but should honestly, never have to be stated aloud to be known. “The earth is not ours. The earth belongs to everyone!”
Can we work together to find a solution? It’s a reality that needs further acknowledgement, and It Will Be Chaos does an admirable job of giving us perspective and bare-boned stories of resilience and courage.
The film jumps around sometimes and can be a bit jarring, but it’s a forgivable and perhaps even necessary hiccup. Any abrupt change of pace or point of view matches the humanistic crux of: we make mistakes, nothing is perfect. Aptly named, this is a situation continuously growing in its chaotic nature. It shows you the laborious voyage, and also touches on the conditions of the places where the refugees are housed.
Directors Lorena Luciano and Filippo Piscopo do a terrific job of not advocating or pushing agendas, and of providing concerns on all sides of the conversation. This shows not only the view of those who are refugees, but also the townspeople dealing with their arrival, and their reasonable concerns about the new additions. There’s a patient hand with this directing duo, in the midst of this turmoil, that brings us an undiluted window of an important issue.
Conclusion: It Will Be Chaos
More than you’re likely to gauge from the news, It Will Be Chaos gives us faces and names, something tangible to connect with. This captures the weight of their decisions and allows us to feel the terror and bravery in their choice. As we witness with the Orfahlis family, it’s clear that this is no easy journey, but in the face of danger – and for the protection of those you love, it’s worth the risk.
It Will Be Chaos comes in timely fashion. The documentary might focus on a specific occurrence and those directly affected, but the message and awareness of refugees, is worldwide. It’s important to see, because – while you might think you’re aware and informed, if you’re like me, you’ll realize you aren’t. It Will Be Chaos works to change that.
Watch, and pay attention.
It Will Be Chaos premiered on HBO on June 18th for world refugee day.
What did you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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