Shining a light on both sides of the refugee crisis
The Crisis
The current ongoing refugee crisis is the largest recorded human migratory event since World War II...
In the past decade, millions of families have fled their homes in search of peace, freedom and an auspicious future. After escaping violence in their home countries, they face a treacherous journey to Europe and are often met with opposition, stigma, and a lack of resources in their host countries.
As media coverage has declined and the story of the modern refugee has been twisted and warped, there are still millions of human beings living in fear and uncertainty who continue to persevere and survive.
Now, with the ongoing threat of Covid-19, the already at risk population, has been made even more vulnerable.
In September 2019, a disastrous fire on the Greek island of Lesvos destroyed the largest refugee camp on the island, known and referred to in the film as Moria. What was already an over crowded camp, has now left thousands of people without shelter. NGO’s are working tirelessly to aid those affected and are continuing to work to find individuals new homes.
Origins
In March 2017, as a response to this crisis, eight women raised over $30,000 and spent three weeks traveling throughout Greece to distribute the funds to grassroots community organizations. Our team built relationships with refugees and volunteers as they shared their stories of pain, determination, and faith and knew we needed to share their stories. It then became our mission to tell a new, more accurate depiction of the reality so many face.
We heard harrowing accounts of people crossing the deadly stretch between Turkey and Greece to escape violence and war. We heard stories of families living in camps determined to bring normalcy to their children’s lives, despite their own fear and uncertainty. We heard from volunteers who had their faith in humanity tested and restored, and met with organizations that found ingenious ways to address the most difficult problems facing refugees living in Europe.
It happened organically that our team consisted entirely of women, and that during our time on the ground, we were met by an army of female volunteers and refugees working together to serve their communities. The film explores an underlying theme of the incredibly strong women on both sides of the crisis - an important dimension that hasn't been given the light it deserves.
In our film, Refugee is Not My Name, we give audiences a look at the present situation in Athens, Lesbos and Thessaloniki and each location's response to the influx of refugees. We take a look at the incredible hard work happening on the ground and the ways volunteers and refugees are working to foster healthy communities and clearer futures.
The goal of our film is to complicate the dominant narrative of who is a refugee and spark conversation about how viewers can use their skills and passions to bring solutions to the ongoing crisis.
We hope to highlight our underlying similarities and forge a connection between refugees and the global community. Ultimately, we hope to cast a light on those who are frequently disregarded and forgotten. They are people with hopes, dreams, and self-determination.
An important note from the filmmakers
We wanted to note that this film was shot on location in Greece in March 2017. The situation in Greece has changed drastically since then, and now even more so with the effects of Covid-19. Some of the NGOs featured in the film are no longer active, while most are still busy as ever. Please see our Partners sections to see up-to-date information on the individuals featured in the film.
While things have changed in Greece over the last couple of years, we still felt it was important to share this film. The crisis is still just as alive and even more dire, and the sentiments in the film, the focus on the individuals doing truly incredible work, and the universal message of hope, perseverance and community, are needed now more than ever.
About the Film
Directed by Rose Massett / Written by Rose Massett + Megan Towle / Executive Produced by Rebecca Banks
Trapped in limbo and living in displacement along the Greek isles, Refugee Is Not My Name documents the stories of men, women, and children grappling with a past consumed by violence, pain, and loss. As refugees seek a brighter future and a way to rebuild their lives, volunteers and grassroots NGOs do their best to ease the transition into a different way of life. Throughout their journeys, all but one truth remains: hope, and the endless yearning for a meaningful life.
Director statement
This film was brought into fruition in late 2016 when the refugee crisis was slowly starting to fade into the back of people's mind and away from the nightly news. When we arrived in Greece, what we saw was a very real, and very immediate need of thousands of people across Greece. Over the last few years, immigration and the refugee crisis have become more relevant than ever. We hope the stories featured in Refugee Is Not My Name will not only prove that the crisis is alive and as urgent as ever, but also that the stories of loss and hope don't belong to just them, but to all of us.
Film Festival Awards & Accolades
WINNER
Best Documentary Short at Indie Short Fest (2019)
Award of Recognition at The Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards (2019)
Best Documentary Short for Global Justice at The Hollywood Women’s International Film Festival (2019)
OFFICIAL SELECTION + AWARDS
Docs Without Borders Film Festival (2019)
Semi-Finalist at the Los Angeles CineFest (2019)
Women’s International Film & Arts Festival (2019)
Award of Merit Special Mention at IndieFest Film Awards (2019)
Honorable Mention IndieFEST Film Awards Humanitarian Awards (2019)
WATCH THE FULL FILM BELOW
MEET OUR TEAM
Rose Massett
Director / writer / Cinematographer / producer
Rose graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with honors, where she earned a BA in Film and Television production, with an emphasis on producing and entertainment business.
From a young age, Rose was inspired to get involved with the critical work accomplished through non-profit organizations and NGOs. In 2010, she traveled to Guwahati, India to volunteer on what was at the time, Operation Smile’s largest ever medical mission, working in rural areas with a team of doctors and activists to repair cleft lips and cleft palates. She was a member of Operation Smile's Executive Leadership Council, and a host of their International Student Leadership Conference. It was here that her passion for film and storytelling converged with her desire to participate in social activism.
Currently, Rose is a film director in Los Angeles, pursuing work and creating art focused on connecting powerful human stories to prominent social issues that inspire global change. Find more of her work at: http://www.rosemassett.com/
Megan Towle
Writer / cinematographer / producer
Megan graduated from the College of Saint Benedict with a degree is Global Business Leadership, a minor in communications, and a focus in Entrepreneurship.
During her time at Saint Ben's, Megan was a member of Extending the Link - a student run documentary team with a mission to use documentary film as a vehicle for social change. In 2014, the team traveled to Thailand and Myanmar to film the stories of Karen refugees living along the border in refugee camps. This introduced Megan to the stories of refugees and connected her to the refugee community both at home and abroad. Megan became director of the team her senior year, and furthered her passion for igniting change through film.
Megan currently works at UnitedHealth Group in Minneapolis as a healthcare consultant.
Rebecca Banks
Cinematographer / Executive Producer / PR + MArketing coordinator
Rebecca studied film production and arts administration with an emphasis in Public Affairs at Indiana University of Bloomington.
She presently works as an independent filmmaker in Los Angeles, CA. As a student Banks worked to promote film making within the Indiana region and is striving to change tax incentives for local filmmakers. Banks's work is a medley of varying artistic interests. She has developed public affairs and marketing campaigns for the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. As well as assisted in the development and release of the award winning film, The Good Catholic; as well as acclaimed AMC television series Breaking Bad and pre-series Better Call Saul in assistant directing.
Banks is currently aiming to work on several documentary and narrative films addressing issues in human rights, deaf culture and the LBGTQ community.
Megan Majd
Co-Producer / Field Coordinator
Megan graduated from UC Berkeley with Honors in 2014.
Since then she has been awarded the John Gardner Public Service Fellowship and the Davis Projects for Peace Grant, which she used to film a documentary about the lives of refugees in Europe with the nonprofit organization the Worldwide Tribe. Moved by that experience, Megan organized a trip of 8 women to travel to refugee camps and squats around Greece. They collectively raised over $30k which they distributed to different nonprofits throughout the trip and filmed Refugee is Not My Name.
Megan is a property developer and designer, with a special interest in sustainable design and a passion for advocacy.
Hayley Bosworth
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER / Education + RESEARCH TEAM
Hayley is a graduate of University of San Francisco, where she studied Human Rights and African Diaspora through the International Studies program.
As a member of the Education and Research Team, Hayley raised $3,200 to provide laptops, smart phones and wifi to refugees and community centers throughout Greece— a huge barrier to refugees as they try to survive in isolated and desperate camps. As the film came to completion, she hosted Educational and Community Dialogue events in San Francisco and New York City, bringing coalitions of educators, community members and migrant advocates together to discuss the future of global diaspora and how Americans can support refugees in the US and abroad.
Hayley is now a high school Social Studies teacher in Austin, Texas where she leading history and government classes through a lens of human rights and service learning.
Callie Chamberlain
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER / MARKETING + Promotions
Callie is committed to health, health care and well-being for all. She is currently responsible for advancing health equity across Optum, a global health services organization.
A strong commitment to intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, Callie has contributed to the implementation of Youth 2030: the UN Youth Strategy, and developed grassroots strategies with the UN to prevent violent extremism across the Middle East and North Africa.
A deep believer in the power of community, she founded New Leaders Council-Twin Cities, a progressive leadership and development program building a network of millennials working across sectors to advance equity in the region.
Callie is a reiki practitioner and full-spectrum doula.
OUR PARTNERS
The following organizations and individuals are those we worked with personally in Greece and are featured in the film. Please consider donating directly to the below organizations and individuals who are still on the ground, working everyday to better the lives of others.
Humans 4 humanity | Neda Kadri + Rafat al-hamoud
Humans 4 Humanity is a startup grassroots non-profit and collective of volunteers aimed at relieving suffering and dedicated to the service of vulnerable refugees, that have fled their war-torn countries by providing maximal emergency humanitarian relief aid, and administering various educational, medical, and women’s empowerment programs.
As featured in the film, Neda and Rafat completed construction of The House of Humanity. Their renovations included a free supermarket, a “humanity cafe”, a clothing shop, a toddler’s space and a women’s zone. Their space served as haven for refugees and provided aid with dignity.
While The House of Humanity that was featured in the film has since closed, Neda and Rafat continue to work tirelessly, helping individuals in relocating, finding housing, shopping for food and supplies, among many other necessary things. They are constantly mobilizing direct action and raising money for these efforts, so they can continue to offer support to people every day.
To learn more about Neda, Rafat and Humans 4 Humanity, please click the link below. All donations to their organization will go directly to helping individual people who need it.
Church of Omonia | Eleni Melirrytou
Eleni and her husband Alex, continue to provide aid, legal services and a community space for refugees living in Athens, Greece.
Currently, they are raising money to purchase the floor above their current space, so they can expand and increase the space they have for their efforts.
If you would like to learn more about Eleni, Alex and to support their efforts, click the link is below.
Maria Siu Munroe
The Oinofyta refugee camp has closed since the completion of the film, leaving Maria no choice but to have to discontinue the school.
Recently, she has been supporting the set up of a permaculture school project in Lesvos, Greece. It includes a forest school, and they are working towards pushing outdoor learning and integrating refugees and local communities through working with the land in sustainable ways. They also teach refugees to use permaculture practices wherever they go. Maria and her colleagues aim to focus on outdoor learning, training teachers within the refugee community in camps in how to manage a group of children, and direct learning out of a classroom.
As the Moria camp in Lesvos was recently destroyed by a fire, Maria has been working to start permaculture courses with refugees affected by the fire.
If you would like to support Maria and her work, please consider making a donation to the permaculture school run by her friend Konstantinos in Lesvos. As a way to integrate the local community, they also provide their produce to a cafe that helps feed refugees, making the project fully inclusive. They have begun running workshops and currently have several refugees working and living on their farm.
Click here to support Maria and her friend's Permaculture School
Home for All | Katerina + Nikos
Husband and wife team, Nikos and Katerina run Home for All, a social charity kitchen supporting the refugee community with love, dignity and respect in Lesvos, Greece.
There they make food every day and provide meals to those living in camps and elsewhere on the island. But their work doesn’t stop there. They also provide music classes, cooking workshops for minors, and meals distributed by the church.
Home for All has a flexible attitude. They are inclusive and welcoming to all. To respond to actual needs and in order to make their work as relevant as possible, new initiatives may start at the spur of the moment. The teams of volunteers take care of their own sponsorship; every euro or dollar donated goes directly to their cause.
If you would like to learn more about Katerina and Nikos and their kitchen, Home for All, please click the link below.
*** Update: Due to the COVID-19 situation, the restaurant is currently closed but their support to the refugee community continues. The team now consists of refugees who live in the camp, and they are still active in reaching out to those in need; with social distance, from heart to heart.
ONE HUMAN RACE | Rando Wagner
One Human Race works tirelessly to provide and assist people who have lost everything while often fleeing for their lives from war torn countries. OHR aims to do this while helping them maintain or restore their dignity. OHR does this without discrimination of those who need help, whatever nationality they have or where they are from. OHR supplies basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, medical help and advice. Founder Rando Wagner goes out to Greece on a very regular basis to distribute supplies and to help where is needed. He has a vast network of other volunteers he cooperates with. By keeping this charity intentionally small, he can reach those forgotten by large organizations or those tied up in their red tape. He is there, one on one, helping individuals.
If you would like to support Rando in these efforts, please consider donating via the link below.
Refugym | Brittany Grace
After the Oinofyta refugee camp closed down, Brittany, a humanitarian aid worker who has been working with refugees in Greece since 2016, founded Refugym - a NGO teaching sports classes to residents of a refugee camp - providing exercise, endorphins and escapism!
Through her work, she observed that once people had reached the safety of Europe, very little was being done to address their mental health needs. Many people experience mental health issues due to the traumas they faced in their home countries, their journey to Europe, and then the stagnation of life in Greece.
Refugym runs exercise classes within a refugee camp located North of Athens. The camp is home to 3,000 people, predominantly from Afghanistan but also Iran, Iraq, Syria, Kurdistan and Pakistan. Refugym aims to provide relief through sports, which do not require a common language, exercise classes, and escapism - offering activities outside of the camps.
If you would like to learn more about Brittany and Refugym or to make a donation, please click the link below.
Hope Project | Tania de sousa + Elena Yenka
Hope project has since closed its doors. Due to limited resources and a greater need for long term physiological and housing support, Tania and Elena were forced to halt operations while they seek opportunities for a more sustainable solution.
Eko Project | Dan Teuma + Mary Finn
Vasilika Camp has since closed and the displaced refugees have been sent to other camps across Greece. Without the camp residents, Eko Project was no longer needed.
Dan has since founded Aniko, an organization that promotes health and social inclusion for displaced people through football.
Mary Finn finished working at EKO in Greece and began working on the search and rescue vessel the SOS MEDITERRANEE off the coast of Libya. She is currently traveling and going to university to become a midwife in humanitarian aid.