SHAYLA’S REVIEW

Film Review: Unsettled: Seeking Refuge in America

The representation of marginalized groups in popular culture is rare. Reelout’s annual film festival provides an outlet to deconstruct what is seen as normalized within society. The many films screened at this festival counter traditional means of thinking including binaries, compulsory heterosexuality, and many more limited views. Unsettled: Seeking Refuge in America, highlights the challenges that queer immigrants face throughout this state of change in their lives. Not only are LGBTQ2S+ refugees enduring a surplus of immigration struggles, but they have to cope without the support of their families. This struggle coupled with finding a new and safe home is amplified and analyzed through an intersectional lens during this film. 

This film was presented as a documentary, following three core storylines. The central story was that of a gay refugee from Syria, Subhi. Not only did Subhi endure threats from an Islamic terrorist group, but he also felt unsafe in his home as a result of an abusive homophobic father. Subhi is followed through his transition from Syria to America. He struggles with trying to navigate this new life independently, but eventually finds himself as an influential leader for refugee rights in the United States. The second storyline presented follows Mari and Cheyenne, a lesbian couple from Angola. These women struggle to get their permanent visas in the states. Their story focuses on the adversity faced by immigrants within the legal system. The final story arch that is delivered in this film is that of a gender non conforming gay man from the Republic of Congo. Junior endures severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which has resulted in alcoholism and what appears to be abandonment issues. He experienced great difficulty with establishing stable housing and often turned to sexual partners who saw him as a novelty and were fleeting. The intertwined presentation of all three storylines clearly highlights the intersectional struggles that LGBTQ2S+ immigrants face; these individuals have many identities that are to be analyzed cumulatively rather than in binaries. 

Given the mass publicity surrounding Donald Trump and his new policies regarding immigration, it is no surprise that individuals who migrate to the United States must encounter a period of waiting. The period that queer immigrants face is oftentimes greater due to the difficulties they encounter trying to find basic legal representation. Mari and Cheyenne came to the states seeking asylum, thus they did not have visas like Subhi and Junior. This couple struggled to find a lawyer who would accept a meeting with them. The meeting itself followed a long waiting period in which the individuals could not work to support themselves. The lawyer accepted their case however, the retelling of their story to support the asylum claim entailed discussing the terror that they had faced prior, stirring intense emotional turmoil. Once their case was presented they continued waiting to see if their claim had been accepted. The struggle of seeking asylum is taxing on the individuals who have applied as they are in the states on a temporary basis and could be removed and returned to their old countries at any moment. 

This film expertly identifies the immigration struggles endured by queer refugees by highlighting the intersectional trials that they face. Mari and Cheyenne stated that they were hoping they would face less discrimination in America however, the stigma surrounding immigrants, in general, implies a negative connotation. This coupled with their queer identity puts them at risk. This is elaborated on in “Being in Question” by Sara Ahmed when she states that, “To be identified as a stranger is to be identified as not being from here, or not being entitled to be here; you are identified as someone who endangers who is here” (117). Not only are queer immigrants seen as strangers, but they embody a multiplicity of aspects of contradicting norms: abnormal sexuality and race. These unknown factors are often embodied by strangers which is why they are often perceived as dangerous. Queer immigrants are victims of this narrow social constructionism as they oppose what is ‘typical’ of society. 

A supplementary burden that is unique to queer refugees is their lack of familial support. Often times refugees flee their native countries as a family, however more often than not with queer individuals, this is not the case. Many refugees come from countries where the presentation of queer values is immoral, in some countries it is even punished by death. In these countries, an adapted version of the “white picket fence” family described in ““As Seen on TV”: Gender, Television, and Popular Culture” by Jenn Brandt is normalized. This family entails: a “dad as the breadwinner, stay-at-home mom, and two smiling and obedient children,” highlighting heteronormative norms (Brandt, 105).  Subhi’s family was complacent with the “white picket fence” family, and as a result, endured abuse from his father. Mari and Cheyenne were on the receiving end of hate speech along the lines of “I wish you weren’t born” from one of their mothers. Junior experienced isolation from his family due to his fluid gender identity and sexuality. His mother was a well-known preacher in his hometown, who often taught about the ‘wrongs’ of queer beliefs. The four individuals in this film were raised in hegemonic cultures, suppressing non-normative expressions. The film exemplified this when reinforcing the multitude of struggles that queer refugees face, additional to intersectional discrimination. 

Despite the array of challenges the four individuals in this film endured, they are now all residents in the states with stable incomes and housing. As a key player, Subhi has reinforced what Audre Lorde claims, “it is the responsibility of the oppressed to teach the oppressors their mistakes “ (114). Social constructionism is rooted in the misbeliefs portrayed by society, which is why re-educating individuals who blindly comply with norms is essential. Biases are innate within individuals as a result of the environment that surrounds them however, this is not an excuse to be blatantly discriminatory. Reelout’s film festival serves as both an educational tool and a safe space, where learning and advocating are encouraged. A similar attitude is seen through the #nbdcampaign, where respect and learning are central themes (No Big Deal). Unsettled: Seeking Refuge in America, has skillfully focused on these core concepts by raising awareness of the discrimination and hardships that queer refugees must face alone.  

Word Count: 1048

Works Cited 

Ahmed, Sara. “Being in Question” in Living a Feminist Life. Durham: Duke University Press, 2017. 11-134. 

Brandt, Jenn. “‘As Seen on TV’: Gender, Television, and Popular Culture.” in Gender and Pop Culture: A Text Reader, edited by Adrienne Trier-Bieniek, 2014, 103-120.

Lorde, Audre. 1984. “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference.” Pp. 114-123 in Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Freedom, CA: Crossing Press.

No Big Deal, www.nbdcampaign.ca/.