‘The Reluctant Shanty’ features real-life refugees, who sing a shanty written from multiple interviews with refugees about the dangerous sea crossings they made to escape persecution and conflict.

Crafted with an elevated visual style and raw intimacy, The Reluctant Sea Shanty witnesses three refugees stranded in the ocean.

In the film, real-life casting and naturalistic performances meet a poetic visual style - where the refugees’ experiences are stripped back to their essential symbols - such as the eerie calm of a vast foreboding ocean and the melancholy of empty life vests.

Through its authentic casting, copywriting and nuanced direction, The Reluctant Shanty shines light on the hope and fortitude of the refugees who risk everything to arrive in not only Australia, but countless other countries around the world.

The Reluctant Shanty is the first shanty based on the experiences of those who’ve embarked on dangerous sea crossings as refugees.

Seeking asylum more often than not, brings serious risk of injury or death, as well as endangerment of life, exploitation, or violence.

In the lead up to World Refugee Day (20th June), Australians for UNHCR wanted to boost awareness of both the plight of refugees and the refugee assistance programs they run globally to support displaced people worldwide, and raise much needed funds.

The scripts is based on the stories of real refugees.

[Verse 1: Mandela]

No sailor am I with no compass no plan

cast out on the ocean for all that I am

It’s a chance without choice that has put me to sea so I’ll hold tight to hope ‘til the day I am free

[Chorus: Rita]

So I’ll leave all I know in the search for a home there’s no way of knowing how far I must roam I’ll cling on to courage, I’ll fight the wild sea

I’ll hold tight to hope ‘til the day I am free

[Verse 2: Heifa]

Through storms and through gunfire, we whispered goodbyes is this where the boat breaks? is this where we die?

There’s a light in the dark and it’s calling to me:

“Just hold tight to hope ‘til the day you are free”

[Chorus: Heifa]

So I’ll leave all I know in thе search for a home therе’s no way of knowing how far I must roam I’ll cling on to courage, I’ll fight the wild sea

I’ll hold tight to hope ‘til the day I am free

Featuring the true stories of real-life refugees, this campaign was first launched through Nathan Evans, a TikTok creator who hit the spotlight for his modern revival of sea shanties - a 400 year old genre of music developed by sailors to tell stories of adventure.

But today, not all sailors want to go to sea. This project is an opportunity to build awareness for refugees who flee their country across the ocean; honouring their courage and resilience in the face of extraordinary odds - and using TikTok, one of the world’s most popular platforms and trends, to do so.

A large number of refugees arrive on Australia’s shore each year, but it was crucial the project’s messaging could resonate culturally in any country. Casting real refugees meant communicating the true refugee experience in its totality – not just its darkness and difficulty, but its vibrancy and strength as well.