A single mother shows us the consequences of closing America’s doors to families fleeing war. With no answer to her application for resettlement in the US, and every other path to safety closed off, a smuggler’s raft to Europe was the only way out. 8 Borders, 8 Days is her story; the intimate details of why a fiercely-determined mother is willing to risk her children’s lives for a better future and an immersive experience of their eight-day journey to safety.
Says the Director Amanda Bailly,
“I first saw Sham’s bravery in action the day I arrived in Lesbos, Greece, in September 2015. We were outside of a sports stadium among Greek riot police and more than 10,000 refugees who had rushed to the scene to obtain government permits that would allow them to continue the journey to mainland Europe. Sham approached a baton-wielding officer and demanded he make a separate line for women and children away from the men, and he did.”
Discussion, led by the Vashon Resettlement Committee, will follow the documentary screening, focusing on ways Islanders can support the three Syrian families that have been resettled on Vashon Island.