September 18, 2022 - Actor/Director Malin Barr (EVERGREEN)

EVERGREEN. 7min. short film. Played at the Female Feedback Film Festival.

The line between reality and dream blurs for Swedish Mia, who suffers from anxiety induced paranoia on the day of her immigration interview.

https://www.instagram.com/evergreentheshortfilm

Director Statement

With this film, I hope to raise awareness of the hardship that immigrants of all nationalities are facing while applying for permanent residency in the U.S and open up for a conversation around the subject. This issue is a reality regardless of what skin color you have, what country you are from, or what languages you speak. Ironically, as the US country that is in fact created by immigrants.

In this story, we follow Mia, a European immigrant’s story, yet “Mia” could be anyone in the world. For me, her story represents the issue of the immigration process in the U.S.

The film explores through an experimental, nightmare-like lens, the fear and feeling of paranoia that immigrants might experience, while being tested by a system that is not only difficult and scrutinizing but also intimidating, overwhelming and even at times disrespectful. Having to respond to endless requests, both personal and professional, being challenged as to the existence of a job, the validity of a relationship or being able to prove that oneself is “extraordinary” enough to live in the country. The sentiment I managed to gather from my own experiences as well as other immigrant friends, was the sense of not being wanted, trusted or welcomed.

Therefore, I hope to shed light on this issue and open up a discussion around the questions:
Is this process really fair and respectful? To what extent is this a valid test or is it an exercise and abuse of control? How do we decide who is worthy to stay in a country based on their ethnicity, gender, fortune, skills, nationality, religion or who they love and marry?

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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