For the director, successfully street-casting this piece meant communicating the true refugee experience in its totality – not just its darkness and difficulty, but its vibrancy and strength as well.

Without a sense of hope, the director felt that the spot would deny the humanity of its subjects by reducing them to one-dimensional victims; stripped of their sense of agency.

Casting real refugees was vital, and the director prioritized finding non-actors who are strong for who they are, not just for what they went through.

It was a potent casting choice, but it also demanded ethical consideration. Great care was taken in pre-production to work through the sensitivities of each refugee, ensuring that the experience was empowering rather than traumatic.

As a result, the casting draws you into the refugees’ reality; we see these people for who they are, not just the situation they are in.